Markdown is a lightweight markup language that converts plain text with simple formatting syntax into HTML. This tool uses the Marked.js library to parse Markdown syntax in real-time, transforming it into formatted HTML displayed in the preview pane. The conversion happens instantly as you type.



When you write Markdown (like **bold** or # Heading), Marked.js reads the text character-by-character, identifies syntax patterns using regular expressions, and converts them to HTML equivalents (**text** → text, # Heading →

Heading

). The HTML renders in the preview pane with your browser's default styling or custom CSS.



Real-time preview uses Svelte's reactivity system—the preview updates automatically whenever the input changes. No manual refresh needed. All processing happens client-side in your browser using JavaScript. Markdown files you write never leave your device, ensuring privacy for personal notes or confidential documentation.

1. README Documentation
Developers write README.md files for GitHub repositories, open-source projects, and software documentation. Preview Markdown formatting before committing to ensure headings, code blocks, lists, and links render correctly. Well-formatted READMEs improve project professionalism and help users understand installation, usage, and contribution guidelines.



2. Technical Writing & Note-Taking
Technical writers, students, and researchers use Markdown for taking structured notes with headings, lists, code snippets, and links. Markdown's simplicity beats complex word processors for plain text editing. Preview ensures proper formatting when exporting to HTML, PDF, or publishing platforms like Medium or dev.to.



3. Blog Post Drafting
Many blogging platforms (Jekyll, Hugo, Ghost, dev.to) use Markdown for content. Writers draft posts in Markdown editors, using preview to verify formatting before publishing. Markdown separates content from styling, making posts portable across platforms. Preview catches formatting errors before readers see them.



4. Project Documentation & Wikis
Teams use Markdown for internal documentation, wikis (GitHub Wiki, GitLab Wiki), and knowledge bases. Preview Markdown syntax to ensure technical documentation, API references, and tutorial content displays correctly. Markdown's simplicity encourages documentation writing—no wrestling with word processor formatting.



5. Email & Forum Posting
Some email clients, forums, and communication platforms (Slack, Discord, Reddit) support Markdown formatting. Write messages with bold, italic, links, and code blocks, then preview to verify formatting before sending. Markdown creates professional-looking messages without HTML knowledge.

• Learn basic Markdown syntax quickly: Core syntax: # Heading, **bold**, *italic*, [link](url), - list item, `code`, ```code blocks```, > blockquote, | tables |. Master these 8 patterns to write 90% of formatted content. Markdown is designed for rapid learning—cheat sheets widely available.



• Use headings for document structure: # H1 for main title, ## H2 for sections, ### H3 for subsections. Proper heading hierarchy improves readability and enables auto-generated tables of contents. Most Markdown renderers create anchor links from headings for easy navigation.



• Code blocks need language specification: For syntax highlighting, specify language: ```javascript, ```python, ```html. This enables color-coded syntax in rendered output on GitHub, blogs, and documentation sites. Makes code examples dramatically more readable.



• Preview before publishing: Different Markdown parsers (GitHub Flavored Markdown, CommonMark, Markdown Extra) have slight syntax variations. Always preview in this tool or your target platform before publishing to catch rendering differences. What works in one parser may break in another.



• Escape special characters when needed: Markdown uses * # - for formatting. To display these literally, escape with backslash: \*, \#, \-. Without escaping, *asterisks* become italics instead of displaying as-is. Essential for technical documentation using these symbols.



• Tables require exact syntax: Markdown tables are finicky. Pipes (|) separate columns, hyphens (---) define headers. Misaligned pipes break tables. Use the preview to verify table rendering—easier than troubleshooting syntax errors manually. Some editors auto-format tables for you.



• Markdown for portability, not complex layouts: Markdown excels at simple, structured content—paragraphs, lists, headings, code. For complex layouts (columns, text boxes, intricate formatting), use HTML or dedicated design tools. Markdown's simplicity is its strength and limitation.