Live markdown editor

Writing a GitHub README

You're setting up a new open source project and need the README to look right before pushing. GitHub's own preview only renders after you commit, so mistakes are public. Paste your draft here, fix the heading hierarchy and table alignment, then copy the finished source back to your editor.

Drafting documentation before committing

You're writing a pull request description or a wiki page and want to confirm that your GFM tables render correctly and your task list checkboxes show up as checkboxes. The live preview here matches GitHub's rendering closely, so what you see is what reviewers will see.

Learning markdown syntax

You're new to markdown and want to experiment without setting up a local environment. Type a heading with ##, add a fenced code block, try a table, and see the output instantly. No account needed and nothing to install.

Parsing

Every keystroke triggers a markdown parse using a GFM-compatible renderer. The parser handles standard CommonMark syntax plus GitHub extensions: strikethrough, tables, task list items, and autolinked URLs.

Rendering

The renderer turns the parsed output into sanitized HTML for the preview pane. Code blocks pick up monospace formatting, tables get borders, and task list items render as actual checkboxes, matching what GitHub displays on READMEs and issues.

Storage

Your browser saves your markdown to localStorage. Nothing leaves your machine, and there's no server, no account, and no history log. Clearing your browser data erases the saved content.

Does the live editor support GitHub Flavored Markdown?

Yes. The preview renders GFM syntax including tables, strikethrough text, fenced code blocks with language labels, and task list checkboxes using - [ ] and - [x]. It does not render GitHub-specific features like mentions (@user) or issue references (#123), since those are tied to GitHub account data.

Is my content saved to a server?

No. The editor saves your content to your browser's local storage only and sends nothing to a server. Reopening the editor after closing the tab restores your content; clearing your browser cache deletes it permanently.

Can I use this to convert markdown to HTML?

The preview pane renders HTML visually but doesn't expose it as copyable text. For the raw HTML source, use the Markdown to HTML converter. It outputs a string you can drop into any website.

How is this different from the WYSIWYG editor?

This live editor shows raw markdown syntax on the left and rendered output on the right, so you write and control real markdown text. The WYSIWYG editor hides the markdown and formats text through toolbar buttons instead, like a word processor. Use this editor to see and control the source; use the WYSIWYG editor for a visual writing experience.

How is this different from the plain markdown editor?

The Markdown Editor lets you toggle the preview off entirely to write full-width, then download your draft as a .md file when you are done. This live editor keeps the preview on screen at all times with no toggle, which suits a workflow where you are constantly checking how a table, code block, or nested list renders as you type. Prefer to hide the preview and write distraction-free? Try the Markdown Editor instead.