Markdown Preview Online — Open, Edit & View MD Files
Paste Markdown or open a .md file and see it rendered instantly, GitHub-style. Edit with a formatting toolbar and export to HTML.
Quick answer
To preview a Markdown file online, paste your Markdown into the editor or click "Open .md" (or drag and drop the file) in the KaviForge Markdown Preview. The rendered result appears live next to the editor with GitHub Flavored Markdown support for tables, task lists, code blocks, and strikethrough. You can then download the result as a .md file or a styled .html page. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Markdown files — README.md, CHANGELOG.md, docs, and notes — are plain text, so opening one in Notepad or a phone file viewer just shows raw symbols like #, **, and |. This tool renders them the way GitHub, GitLab, and documentation sites do, so you can read them properly or check your formatting before you commit.
Use it as an MD file viewer, a README previewer, or a lightweight Markdown editor. Your text is autosaved in your browser, so it is still there when you come back.
How to Preview a Markdown (.md) File Online
- 1Paste your Markdown into the editor, or click "Open .md" and choose a file. You can also drag and drop a .md file onto the editor.
- 2Read the rendered preview on the right. It updates as you type.
- 3Use the toolbar (or Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+K) to add bold, italic, headings, lists, links, images, code blocks, and tables.
- 4Switch between Split, Write, and Preview views, or open the preview in fullscreen for easier reading.
- 5Click Download to save the Markdown as a .md file or export a styled, standalone .html page. Use Copy HTML to paste the output into a CMS.
Features
Live Markdown Preview
The rendered output updates instantly as you type, side by side with the editor.
GitHub Flavored Markdown
Tables, task lists, fenced code blocks, strikethrough, and autolinks render like on GitHub.
Open .md Files
Open or drag and drop .md, .markdown, and .txt files. They are read locally, never uploaded.
Markdown to HTML
Copy the generated HTML or download a complete, styled HTML page.
Formatting Toolbar
Insert headings, lists, links, images, tables, and code blocks with one click or keyboard shortcuts.
Table of Contents Generator
Copy a nested, linked table of contents built from your headings — ready for any README.
Word Count & Reading Time
See word, character, line, and heading counts plus an estimated reading time.
Safe & Private
Output is sanitized to block scripts, and your text is only saved in your own browser.
When to Use This Markdown Viewer
Preview a README before pushing to GitHub
Check headings, badges, tables, and code blocks render correctly before you commit.
Open an .md file on Windows, Mac, or phone
Read Markdown files in any browser without installing VS Code, Typora, or another app.
Write documentation and notes
Draft docs, changelogs, and blog posts with live feedback on formatting.
Convert Markdown to HTML for a website or email
Turn Markdown into clean HTML to paste into WordPress, a CMS, or a newsletter.
Check Markdown tables
Make sure pipes, alignment colons, and header rows produce the table you expect.
Learn Markdown syntax
Try syntax and see the result immediately — the sample shows the most common elements.
About Markdown and MD Files
Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It uses plain-text symbols — # for headings, ** for bold, - for lists, and backticks for code — that convert to HTML. Files usually end in .md or .markdown, and README.md is the standard project introduction on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and npm.
This previewer supports GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), which adds tables, task lists (- [ ] and - [x]), strikethrough (~~text~~), and automatic links to standard Markdown. By default a single line break is treated as a space, just like in README files; turn on "Line breaks as <br>" to match GitHub comments and issues, where every new line is kept.
Headings get anchor IDs, so in-page links like [Installation](#installation) jump to the right section in the preview and in the exported HTML. Raw HTML inside Markdown is allowed but sanitized, so scripts and event handlers are removed before anything is displayed.
Markdown Preview FAQs
How do I open an .md file online?
Click "Open .md" and choose the file, or drag and drop it onto the editor. The file is read in your browser and rendered instantly. It is not uploaded to any server.
How can I preview a README.md before pushing to GitHub?
Paste your README.md into the editor or open the file. The preview supports GitHub Flavored Markdown, including tables, task lists, fenced code blocks, and heading anchors, so it closely matches how GitHub will display it.
What is an MD file and how do I read it?
An MD file is a plain-text document written in Markdown. You can open it in any text editor, but to see the formatted version (headings, bold text, lists, and tables) you need a Markdown viewer like this one.
How do I open an MD file on Windows or a phone without installing software?
Open this page in any browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox on desktop or mobile — and use "Open .md". No app or extension is needed.
How do I convert Markdown to HTML?
Paste your Markdown, then click Copy HTML to copy the generated HTML, or choose Download → HTML page to save a complete, styled .html file you can open in any browser.
How do I make a table in Markdown?
Write a header row separated by pipes, then a separator row like | --- | --- |, then your data rows. Add colons to align columns: :--- for left, :---: for center, and ---: for right. Use the Table button in the toolbar to insert a template.
How do I add a checkbox or task list in Markdown?
Start a list item with - [ ] for an unchecked box or - [x] for a checked one. The Task list button inserts this for you.
Why do my line breaks disappear in Markdown?
In standard Markdown a single line break is treated as a space. End the line with two spaces or a backslash, or leave a blank line to start a new paragraph. You can also enable "Line breaks as <br>" to keep every line break, like in GitHub comments.
How do I create a table of contents for my README?
Add your headings, then click Copy TOC. You get a nested Markdown list with links like [Installation](#installation) that you can paste at the top of your README.
Is my Markdown saved or uploaded?
Your text is autosaved only in your browser’s local storage so you can come back to it later. It is never sent to a server. Click Clear to remove it.
Related Tools
HTML CSS Preview
Write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and see the result live. Responsive sizes, console output, and download.
HTML Formatter
Beautify messy or minified HTML with clean indentation, or minify it for production. Free and private.
JSON Formatter & Validator
Pretty print, beautify, minify, and validate JSON online free. Tree view, file upload, private browser-only.