Markdown to HTML Converter
Convert markdown to HTML in your browser. Type on the left, watch the preview update, then copy the HTML in one click. No signup, nothing uploaded.
Markdown Editor & HTML Live Preview
Markdown, rendered as you type
Type markdown on the left and the HTML appears on the right. Bold, italic, strikethrough and inline code all work.
Lists and tasks
- First step
- Second step
- A nested bullet
- Another one
- Write the draft
- Copy the HTML
Code
function greet(name) {
return "Hello, " + name;
}
Quotes render too.
| Tool | Category |
|---|---|
| JSON Formatter | Developer |
| Word Counter | Text |
A link and an image: 
What Markdown to HTML Converter Does
Markdown is a plain-text formatting syntax that converts to HTML, designed by John Gruber in 2004 around one goal: the source should be readable as-is, without looking like markup. That is why emphasis is asterisks rather than tags, and why a list looks like a list before anything renders it.
The catch is that Gruber’s original description left a lot undefined, so implementations diverged. CommonMark exists to fix that with a strict specification and a test suite, and GitHub Flavored Markdown builds tables, task lists, strikethrough and autolinks on top of it. Most of what people mean by "Markdown" today is GFM.
This tool converts Markdown to HTML in your browser with marked, an open-source parser. It renders headings from h1 to h6, bold, italic, strikethrough, links, images, ordered and unordered lists with nesting, task lists, tables, blockquotes, inline code, fenced code blocks and horizontal rules, which covers the GitHub Flavored Markdown features most people use. Footnotes and definition lists are not supported, and unusual constructions can differ from GitHub, so check them where they will be published.
Raw HTML you type into the Markdown is escaped rather than rendered, in the preview and in the copied HTML, and link and image URLs are limited to http, https, mailto (links only) and relative paths. That matters more than it sounds: a previewer that inserts link URLs into HTML unescaped will execute a javascript: URL or break out of the attribute entirely, which is a genuine hole this tool had before it was rebuilt.
How to Use Markdown to HTML Converter
- Type or paste your Markdown syntax in the left editor
- Watch the formatted HTML preview update live in the right pane
- Use headers (#), bold (**), code blocks, and tables
- Click Copy Raw HTML when ready to use in your website or CMS
Formula Used by Markdown to HTML Converter
The syntax this converter handles
# Heading **bold** *italic* ~~strike~~ [text](url)  > quote - item 1. item - [ ] task `code` ```block``` ---
- Heading
- one to six hashes, matching h1 through h6
- list
- a hyphen, asterisk, plus sign or number followed by a space; indent an item to nest it
- table
- rows of cells separated by pipes, with a divider row of dashes under the header row
- blank line
- the paragraph separator; a single newline does not start a new paragraph
Worked example
The most common mistake: expecting a single newline to break a line.
- Markdown joins consecutive lines into one paragraph.
- A blank line starts a new paragraph.
- Two spaces at the end of a line force a line break within one.
Result: If your text is running together, the fix is almost always a blank line.
Syntax and what it produces
| Markdown | Result |
|---|---|
| `# Title` to `###### Title` | Heading levels 1 to 6 |
| `**text**` | Bold |
| `*text*` or `_text_` | Italic |
| `~~text~~` | Strikethrough |
| `[label](https://example.com)` | Link |
| `` | Image |
| `> quoted` | Blockquote |
| `- item` | Bulleted list |
| `1. item` | Numbered list |
| `- [x] done` | Task list item with a checked box |
| `| a | b |` over a `| - | - |` divider | Table |
| `` `code` `` | Inline code |
| `---` | Horizontal rule |
Which flavor you are writing for
| Flavor | Adds |
|---|---|
| CommonMark | The strict base specification, with a conformance test suite |
| GitHub Flavored Markdown | Tables, task lists, strikethrough, autolinks |
| Original Gruber Markdown | The 2004 description — ambiguous in places, which is why the others exist |
How to Read Your Result
Blank lines do the structural work
Almost every "why is my Markdown wrong" question comes down to a missing blank line: before a list, before a heading, or between paragraphs. Adding one fixes it more often than any other change.
What the copied HTML contains
Copy Raw HTML copies exactly the HTML shown in the preview: plain tags with no style attributes and no html or body wrapper, external links with target="_blank" and rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow", fenced code as pre and code with a class such as language-javascript, and task list items with a disabled checkbox input. The colors and spacing in the preview come from this page’s stylesheet, so they are not part of the copied HTML.
Rendering differs by destination
GitHub, GitLab, Reddit, Discord and static site generators all support slightly different sets. Tables and task lists are GFM extensions rather than universal syntax, so check them where they will actually be published before assuming they work.
Raw HTML is shown as text
A tag such as <b> or <script> typed into the Markdown appears as literal text here. The GFM specification filters only nine tags, including script and iframe, and lets other raw HTML through, so Markdown that relies on inline HTML will look different on a site that allows it. To get bold, a link or a list, use the Markdown syntax for it.
Limitations & Accuracy Notes
- Unusual and deeply nested constructions can differ from GitHub or another parser. Check them where they will be published.
- Footnotes, definition lists, math and diagrams are not supported. Footnote syntax such as [^1] is not recognized.
- Raw HTML in the source is escaped rather than passed through, which is deliberate but differs from GitHub’s behavior.
- Link URLs are limited to http, https, mailto and relative paths, and image URLs to http, https and relative paths. Anything else, including javascript:, data: and vbscript: URLs, is shown as plain text with the address in parentheses instead of being made clickable.
- Images load from the address you give, so an image only appears in the preview if that address is reachable from your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Markdown?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language with plain-text-formatting syntax that can be quickly converted to HTML.
Can I export the rendered HTML?
Yes, click "Copy Raw HTML" to copy the generated HTML to your clipboard. It is the same HTML the preview shows, as plain tags with no style attributes.
Does this support GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)?
It supports the GFM features most people use: tables, strikethrough with ~~double tildes~~, task lists written as - [ ] and - [x], fenced code blocks, and bare web addresses that become links. Footnotes and definition lists are not supported.
How do I convert Markdown to HTML?
Paste or type your Markdown in the left box. The right pane renders it as you type, and Copy Raw HTML puts the generated HTML on your clipboard. It handles headings from h1 to h6, bold, italic, strikethrough, links, images, ordered and unordered lists with nesting, task lists, tables, blockquotes, inline and fenced code, and horizontal rules. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
What does the HTML this converter produces look like?
It is an HTML fragment with no html or body wrapper and no style attributes. You get h1 to h6, p, ul, ol, li, table, blockquote, pre and code, a and img tags. External links carry target="_blank" and rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow", and fenced code gets a class such as language-javascript. Style it with your own CSS.
Why doesn’t my HTML tag show up as written in the preview?
Raw HTML in the Markdown is escaped, so a tag such as <b> or <script> appears as literal text, in the preview and in the copied HTML. That keeps pasted Markdown from running code in the page. Use Markdown syntax for bold, links and lists, or wrap the tag in backticks to show it on purpose.
Which links and images are allowed?
Links can use http, https, mailto or a relative path such as /about or #top. Images can use http, https or a relative path. A javascript:, data: or vbscript: address is not made clickable, and it appears as plain text with the address in parentheses so you can see what was written.
Which Markdown flavor does it render?
Standard Markdown plus the GitHub Flavored Markdown extensions for tables, strikethrough, task lists and automatic linking. Footnotes are not supported. Flavors differ between sites, so a document that relies on an extension will render differently in a processor that does not support it.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Rendering happens in your browser, so drafts and private notes stay on your device.
Why is my line break being ignored?
A single newline is treated as a space in Markdown, and paragraphs are separated by a blank line. To force a line break within a paragraph, end the line with two spaces or use a backslash. This surprises people constantly and is behaving as specified.
Can I use HTML inside Markdown?
Markdown itself allows inline HTML and many processors pass it through, but this tool does not: tags you type are escaped and shown as text, in the preview and in the copied HTML. Platforms differ in what they allow when publishing, so a document that relies on raw HTML may render differently once it leaves your editor.
Why is my nested list not indenting?
Nesting depends on consistent indentation, and most processors expect the continuation to line up with the parent item's text. Mixing tabs and spaces is the usual culprit, so pick one and use it throughout.
References & Further Reading
- CommonMark specification — The strict specification, with a conformance test suite, that most modern parsers target
- GitHub Flavored Markdown specification — The CommonMark superset that adds tables, task lists, strikethrough and autolinks, and filters nine raw HTML tags
- Daring Fireball — Markdown syntax — Gruber’s original 2004 description
- marked — a Markdown parser — The open-source library that does the conversion here