Markdown to HTML Converter Free Online

Free online Markdown to HTML converter. Write or paste Markdown and instantly preview and export the HTML output.

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Markdown cheat sheet

  • # Heading 1
  • ## Heading 2
  • **bold**
  • *italic*
  • [link](url)
  • - list item
  • `inline code`
  • --- horizontal rule
  • ~~strikethrough~~

Markdown has become the dominant plain-text formatting language for technical writing, documentation, README files, blog posts, and content management. It lets you write formatted content in a simple, readable syntax that can then be converted to HTML for web publishing. This free Markdown to HTML converter transforms any Markdown document to clean, semantic HTML instantly in your browser, with a live side-by-side preview so you can see exactly how the content will look.

How to Use the Markdown to HTML Converter

1

Write or paste your Markdown

Type your Markdown content in the input panel, or paste Markdown text from your text editor, GitHub README, documentation file, or any Markdown source. The converter supports all standard Markdown syntax including headings, lists, bold, italic, links, images, code blocks, tables, and blockquotes.

2

View the live preview

The right panel shows a real-time rendered preview of how your Markdown will look as HTML in a browser. This updates instantly as you type, so you can see and fix formatting issues immediately without any separate rendering step.

3

Copy the HTML code

When you are satisfied with the formatted output, click "Copy HTML" to copy the raw HTML code to your clipboard. This HTML is ready to paste into a website, CMS, email template, or any HTML document. You can also use "Copy Preview" to copy the rendered content as rich text for pasting into document editors.

Supported Markdown Syntax

This converter supports the full CommonMark specification plus additional GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extensions:

Headings - use # for H1 through ###### for H6. Headings create the HTML <h1> through <h6> tags.

Bold and italic - **bold** or __bold__ for <strong>, *italic* or _italic_ for <em>, ***bold italic*** for both.

Links - [link text](URL) creates <a href="URL">link text</a>. [link text](URL "title") adds a title attribute.

Images - ![alt text](image-url) creates an <img> tag with src and alt attributes.

Lists - unordered lists use - or * or + as bullet markers. Ordered lists use numbers followed by periods (1. 2. 3.). Nested lists use 4-space or tab indentation.

Code - inline code uses backticks (`code`). Fenced code blocks use triple backticks (```) with an optional language identifier for syntax highlighting classes.

Tables - GFM table syntax using pipe characters creates HTML <table> elements with optional column alignment.

Blockquotes - lines starting with > create <blockquote> elements for quoted content.

Strikethrough - ~~text~~ creates <del> tags for strikethrough text.

Horizontal rules - --- or *** on their own line creates <hr> elements.

Where to Use the Converted HTML

WordPress - write content in Markdown, convert to HTML, then paste into WordPress's Code Editor (switch from Visual to Code view). This gives you clean semantic HTML rather than the messy output of the visual editor.

Email templates - most email marketing platforms accept HTML. Write email content in Markdown for readability, convert to HTML, then paste into your email template's content block.

Static website generators - if you need to convert Markdown outside of a build system like Jekyll, Hugo, or Gatsby, use this converter to manually produce HTML for individual pages.

Documentation websites - convert Markdown documentation files to HTML for embedding in web-based documentation portals that do not have native Markdown rendering.

CMS platforms - Drupal, Joomla, and many other CMS platforms have HTML editors. Convert your Markdown to HTML and paste the result directly into these editors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Markdown features does the converter support?
The converter supports the full CommonMark specification plus GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extensions. This includes: all heading levels (H1-H6), bold, italic, bold italic, links with optional titles, images, unordered and ordered lists with nesting, fenced code blocks with language identifiers, inline code, tables with column alignment, blockquotes, strikethrough, horizontal rules, and hard line breaks. HTML entities are also passed through unchanged.
Is the generated HTML clean and semantic?
Yes. The converter produces clean, semantic HTML without unnecessary wrapper divs, inline styles, or non-standard attributes. Headings become proper <h1>-<h6> tags, paragraphs become <p> tags, emphasis becomes <em> and <strong>, and lists become properly nested <ul>/<ol>/<li> structures. This clean HTML is compatible with all browsers and CSS styling systems.
Does it support GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)?
Yes. The converter supports the most commonly used GFM extensions including fenced code blocks (triple backtick) with language identifiers, tables with pipe syntax and column alignment, strikethrough with double tilde (~~text~~), and task list items (- [ ] and - [x]). These GFM extensions are in addition to the standard CommonMark specification.
Can I use the output HTML in WordPress?
Yes. To use the converted HTML in WordPress: click the three-dot menu in the WordPress block editor and switch to "Code Editor" view, or use the Classic Editor. Paste the HTML directly. In the Classic Editor, click the HTML tab (not the Visual tab). The semantic HTML produced by this converter works cleanly with WordPress default styles and most themes.
Is my Markdown content sent to a server?
No. All Markdown parsing and HTML conversion happens entirely in your browser using a JavaScript Markdown library. Your content never leaves your device and is never transmitted to any server. This makes the tool safe for converting confidential documentation, proprietary content, unpublished writing, or any private text you would not want transmitted online.
What is the difference between Markdown and HTML?
Markdown is a lightweight plain-text formatting syntax designed to be readable without rendering - you can understand # Heading and **bold** as a heading and bold text even in raw form. HTML is the actual markup language that browsers understand, with tags like <h1> and <strong>. Markdown is easier to write and read, while HTML provides full control over web formatting. Most web platforms require HTML, which is why you need a converter to go from Markdown to HTML.
'+h+''],{type:'text/html'}); var a=document.createElement('a');a.href=URL.createObjectURL(blob);a.download='converted.html';a.click(); } document.getElementById('mdCp').addEventListener('click',function(){ var t=document.getElementById('mdHtmlOut').textContent;if(!t)return; navigator.clipboard.writeText(t).then(function(){var b=document.getElementById('mdCp');b.textContent='Copied!';setTimeout(function(){b.textContent='Copy HTML';},1800);}); }); convertMd();