About Markdown
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004 with the goal of being readable as plain text and convertible to clean HTML. Instead of <h1> you write a line starting with #. Instead of <strong> you wrap text in **asterisks**. The source looks close to the output even before it is rendered, which is why Markdown has become the default writing format for READMEs, documentation sites, technical blogs, static site generators, and most chat platforms.
This converter takes Markdown input and produces the corresponding HTML so you can preview what the rendered output will look like, or copy the HTML to paste into a system that does not speak Markdown natively. It supports the elements you will use daily: headings, bold, italic, links, inline code, code blocks, unordered and ordered lists, and blockquotes.
The conversion runs in your browser, so private or draft content never touches a server. That makes the tool safe for early drafts of posts, internal documentation, or release notes you are not ready to publish.
How to Convert Markdown to HTML
- Type or paste Markdown into the left-hand input area.
- The rendered HTML appears in the right-hand panel as you edit.
- Copy the HTML with the copy button, or paste it directly into a blog post, email template, or page that accepts HTML.
Examples
Heading, bold, and a link
Input
# Release notes We shipped **dark mode** today. See the [changelog](https://example.com/changelog) for details.
Output
<h1>Release notes</h1> <p>We shipped <strong>dark mode</strong> today. See the <a href="https://example.com/changelog">changelog</a> for details.</p>
Ordered list and inline code
Input
1. Install the package with `npm install`. 2. Run `npm run dev`. 3. Open http://localhost:3000.
Output
<ol> <li>Install the package with <code>npm install</code>.</li> <li>Run <code>npm run dev</code>.</li> <li>Open http://localhost:3000.</li> </ol>
Common Use Cases
- Writing a README in Markdown and pasting the rendered HTML into a platform that does not render Markdown natively.
- Drafting an email in Markdown and converting it to HTML for a transactional email template.
- Previewing how a blog post will look before publishing to a static site.
- Generating documentation for a system that accepts only HTML input.
Tips
- Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Without one, lines get joined — the most common surprise for people coming to Markdown from word processors.
- For fenced code blocks, use three backticks on their own line before and after the block. Specify the language on the opening fence (```js) for syntax highlighting on platforms that support it.
- Escape special characters with a backslash when you want them to appear literally — for example \* shows as a literal asterisk instead of starting italic text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which flavour of Markdown does this converter use?
The converter supports the core Markdown syntax (headings, emphasis, links, lists, code, blockquotes). It is deliberately minimal and does not implement every GitHub-Flavored Markdown extension such as tables or task lists.
Is the generated HTML safe to embed directly?
It is raw HTML with no sanitisation. If you are rendering Markdown from untrusted input in a real application, always run the output through a sanitiser such as DOMPurify or sanitize-html before inserting it into the DOM.
Can I round-trip HTML back to Markdown?
Not with this tool. The reverse direction (HTML to Markdown) is harder because HTML is strictly more expressive. Libraries like turndown exist for that use case.
Is my Markdown sent to a server?
No. The conversion happens entirely in your browser.