How to use the Markdown editor

  1. Type Markdown in the left pane. The preview on the right updates as you type.
  2. Switch between Split, Preview, and HTML views with the buttons above the editor.
  3. Click Copy HTML to get the rendered HTML for a CMS, email, or static site, or Copy Markdown to copy your source.

Your draft is saved in this browser's local storage, so it is still there if you reload the page. It is not uploaded anywhere. Clear the editor to remove it.

Markdown syntax cheat sheet

# Heading 1
## Heading 2

**bold**, *italic*, ~~strikethrough~~, `inline code`

- Bullet item
1. Numbered item
- [ ] Task to do
- [x] Finished task

[Link text](https://example.com)
![Image alt text](https://example.com/image.png)

> Quoted text

| Column | Column |
| ------ | ------ |
| Cell   | Cell   |

For code blocks, put three backticks on a line before and after the code. Add a language name after the opening backticks, such as js or python, so sites like GitHub can apply syntax highlighting.

GitHub Flavored Markdown

The editor renders GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), the version used on GitHub, GitLab, and many documentation tools. GFM adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and automatic links to the original Markdown syntax.

Line breaks behave differently between platforms. In standard Markdown, a single line break inside a paragraph is ignored and you need a blank line to start a new paragraph. GitHub comments and many chat apps treat a single line break as a real break. Use the Single line breaks become <br> option to match where your text will be published. For README files on GitHub, turn it off.

Safety

Markdown can contain raw HTML. To keep the preview safe, the editor removes scripts, inline event handlers such as onclick, embedded frames, and javascript: links before showing the result. If you publish the HTML on your own site, sanitize it on the server as well, because a preview tool cannot protect your production pages.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my numbered list restart at 1?

A blank line or an unindented paragraph between list items ends the list. Indent continuation text by at least three spaces to keep it inside the list item.

Why are underscores in my text turning into italics?

_word_ is italic in Markdown. Escape underscores with a backslash, as in file\_name, or put the text in backticks.

Which Markdown engine is used?

The preview uses the open-source marked library in GFM mode, running entirely in your browser.