Markdown Editor

What this tool does

Markdown Editor is a split-screen writing space with an instant, sanitised preview of GitHub Flavored Markdown. A toolbar and keyboard shortcuts insert bold, links, lists, tables and code, the outline jumps to any heading, word count and reading time update as you type, and your draft is saved in this browser automatically.

Writing Markdown in a plain text box means guessing how it will look: whether the table lines up, whether a list is nested correctly and whether a link works. Switching back and forth between an editor and a previewer breaks concentration, and many online editors send your text to a server or require an account just to save a draft.

This editor renders GitHub Flavored Markdown with marked as you type and shows it beside the source, with scroll positions kept in step. The preview is cleaned with DOMPurify so raw HTML in a document cannot run scripts. A toolbar and shortcuts (Ctrl or Cmd with B, I, E and K) wrap your selection in the right syntax, list buttons convert whole selected lines, and an outline built from your headings jumps to each section. Drafts are stored only in this browser’s local storage.

How to use Markdown Editor

1. Start typing in the editor, or drop a .md file into Open a file to continue an existing document.
2. Select text and use the toolbar or Ctrl/Cmd + B, I, E or K for bold, italic, inline code and links.
3. Select several lines and click Bulleted list, Numbered list, Task list, Quote or Heading to format them together.
4. Switch View between Split, Editor and Preview, and turn Sync scrolling or Line breaks as <br> on or off.
5. Use the Outline to jump to a heading in the preview and check the word count and reading time below the editor.
6. Copy Markdown or HTML, or download a .md file or a styled, standalone .html file.

Tips for better results

• Press Tab inside the editor to insert two spaces, which is handy for nesting list items.
• The file name for downloads comes from your first heading, so start documents with a # title.
• Reading time assumes about 230 words per minute, a common average for adult silent reading of non-fiction.
• Because drafts live in local storage, clearing site data or using a private window removes them; download important work.

Common use cases

• Drafting README files, changelogs and pull request descriptions.
• Writing blog posts or documentation pages for a static site generator.
• Taking structured meeting notes with task lists.
• Preparing formatted text and copying the HTML into an email or CMS.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Relying on the browser draft as your only copy; it is tied to one browser profile on one device.
• Mixing tabs and spaces in nested lists, which different renderers interpret differently.
• Writing tables without the separator row (| --- |); without it the lines render as plain text.