Markdown Tool

Markdown Viewer & Live Preview

Paste or load Markdown and see a polished, secure preview instantly. Everything renders locally in your browser.

Private · rendered in your browser

Markdown source

Paste, type, load, or drop a Markdown file.

Lines
0
Words
0
Characters
0
Read
0 min

Rendered preview

Sanitized GFM with highlighted code.

Width
Full width

Your preview will appear here

Markdown renders automatically as you paste or type.

Paste Markdown or load a local file to begin.

GFM · sanitized HTML

Why use this Markdown viewer?

Markdown is easy to write but difficult to review as plain text once a document grows beyond a few headings and paragraphs. This viewer places the source beside a polished rendered document so you can check structure, spacing, tables, lists, links, images, and code before publishing or sharing it.

The live preview is useful for README files, developer documentation, release notes, product specifications, AI-generated Markdown, meeting notes, and content moved from the Rich Text to Markdown Converter. Rendering happens locally, so drafts and internal documentation are not uploaded to a conversion service.

Supported Markdown features

The renderer follows GitHub-Flavored Markdown conventions and handles both everyday documents and more structured technical content.

  • Headings, paragraphs, bold, italic, and strikethrough text
  • Ordered, unordered, nested, and task lists
  • Links, responsive images, blockquotes, and horizontal rules
  • GitHub-Flavored Markdown tables and autolinks
  • Inline code and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting
  • Sanitized raw HTML for safe document formatting

How to preview Markdown

  1. Paste or type Markdown into the source editor, or load a local .md or .markdown file. You can also drop the file anywhere on the page. In Chrome and Edge, a loaded file is watched, so the preview refreshes each time you save it and highlights what changed. Use Show edits to see the exact words that were added or removed.
  2. Allow access to the document's folder to show the images beside it, open linked Markdown files in place, and switch between documents with the Files menu.
  3. Install the viewer as an app from the browser menu to open .md files straight from your file manager, editor, or terminal.
  4. Review the rendered preview as it updates automatically.
  5. Collapse the Markdown source pane to center the rendered document for comfortable reading on a wide monitor.
  6. Use the table of contents to move through long documents and the focus control when you want a reading-first view.
  7. Copy a code block or a link to any section with the buttons that appear on hover, or copy the whole source.
  8. Check document statistics, or clear the current session when finished.

Private and safe by design

The source document stays in the active browser tab. Marked parses the Markdown locally, DOMPurify removes executable or unsafe HTML, and Highlight.js styles code without sending it to a server. The document is never placed in the page URL, which keeps browser history and copied links clean.

I published this viewer on afsalv.com for the same documentation workflows I use when reviewing Markdown from developer tools, AI-assisted writing, Confluence, Google Docs, and project repositories.

FAQ

What Markdown features does this viewer support?

It supports common Markdown and GitHub-Flavored Markdown features including headings, emphasis, links, images, lists, task lists, tables, blockquotes, inline code, and fenced code blocks.

Does this Markdown viewer upload or store my document?

No. Parsing, sanitizing, syntax highlighting, and preview rendering happen locally in your browser. The current document is kept only in session storage for the active browser tab.

Can I preview a local Markdown file?

Yes. Click Load file or drop a .md or .markdown file anywhere on the page. Your browser reads the file locally, so it is never uploaded to a server.

Can the viewer show images and links saved next to my Markdown file?

Yes, in Chrome and Edge. Once you allow access to the document's folder, or drop that folder on the page, images with relative paths such as assets/diagram.png appear, links to other Markdown files open in the viewer with Back to return, and the Files menu lists the documents beside it. The folder is remembered for other files inside it, and nothing is requested from or uploaded to a server.

Does the Markdown preview update live when I save the file?

Yes, in Chrome and Edge. The viewer watches the file you load and refreshes the preview each time you save it in VS Code, IntelliJ, or any other editor, without losing your scroll position. Changed sections are shaded, markers beside the scrollbar point to edits you have not scrolled to yet, and Show edits reveals the exact words that were added or removed.

Can I install the Markdown viewer as a desktop app?

Yes. In Chrome or Edge, install it from the address bar or the browser menu. It then opens in its own window and appears in your file manager's Open With menu, so you can open .md files from your desktop, code editor, or terminal with live reload included.

Is raw HTML inside Markdown safe to preview?

Raw HTML is sanitized before it reaches the preview. Scripts, event handlers, embedded frames, unsafe URLs, forms, and other executable content are removed.

Can I preview Markdown created by the Rich Text to Markdown converter?

Yes. Use Preview Markdown beside the converter's download and copy actions to open the generated Markdown directly in this viewer without sending it to a server.

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