Markdown to HTML

Convert Markdown text to clean HTML with live preview. Copy or download the result.

How it works

The converter applies the core Markdown rules directly in your browser and shows two synchronized views: the generated HTML source and a rendered preview. Headings, bold, italic, strikethrough, inline code, fenced code blocks, links, images, blockquotes, lists, horizontal rules and paragraphs are covered — the syntax used by READMEs, docs and blog posts every day.

The HTML Code tab gives you clean, copyable markup with no wrapper divs or inline styles: what you see is what you paste into a CMS, email template or static site. The Preview tab renders the same output so you can verify structure — heading levels, list nesting, link targets — before shipping it.

The engine is intentionally lightweight and predictable rather than a full CommonMark implementation. That means standard syntax converts exactly as expected, while exotic extensions (tables, footnotes, task lists, definition lists) are not transformed. The Common errors section lists the boundaries so the output never surprises you.

Conversion is local: drafts, documentation and unpublished content stay on your machine. For untrusted user input in production, remember that raw HTML inside Markdown passes through — sanitize server-side with a library such as DOMPurify before rendering.

Worked example

Convert a short document with a heading, emphasis and a fenced code block. Each rule maps to its HTML element in one pass.

Markdown	HTML output
`## Release notes`	`<h2>Release notes</h2>`
`breaking change`	`<strong>breaking</strong> change`
`[Docs](https://toolplex.net)`	`<a href="https://toolplex.net">Docs</a>`
```js ... ```	`<pre><code>...</code></pre>`

Paste the Markdown: Drop your draft into the input; the sample shows every supported construct.
Convert: Run the conversion to generate clean HTML.
Check the preview: Verify headings, lists and links in the rendered tab.
Copy the source: Take the HTML Code output into your CMS or static site.

Blank lines split paragraphs: consecutive lines within one block join into a single <p>, while an empty line starts a new element. The preview makes that structure visible immediately.

Common errors and edge cases

Raw HTML passes through. Anything that looks like HTML is kept as-is. For untrusted content this is an XSS vector — sanitize the output before rendering it in an app.
No table or footnote support. Pipe tables, footnotes and task lists are extensions, not core syntax here; they render as plain text. Add them in a full CommonMark processor if needed.
Nested emphasis edge cases. Intra-word underscores and overlapping markers follow simple rules; preview before publishing tricky constructions.
List continuation. A code block inside a list needs consistent indentation; outdented lines close the list.
Images need real URLs. Broken image paths convert fine but render empty in the preview — check the src before copying.

Code equivalents

For production pipelines use a battle-tested parser; the conversions this tool performs map directly onto these libraries.

Language	Example
JavaScript	`marked.parse(md)` with marked, or `remark().process(md)` with unified — then sanitize.
Python 3	`markdown.markdown(md)` with the markdown package, with extensions=['fenced_code','tables'] for extras.
Sanitizing output	`DOMPurify.sanitize(html)` before inserting converted Markdown into a page.

Frequently asked questions

Which Markdown flavor does this converter support?

Core syntax: headings, emphasis, strikethrough, inline and fenced code, links, images, blockquotes, lists, rules and paragraphs. Tables, footnotes and task lists are not transformed.

Is the generated HTML safe to render?

The converter itself produces clean markup, but raw HTML in the input passes through unchanged. Sanitize the output with DOMPurify or an equivalent before rendering untrusted content.

How do I keep line breaks inside a paragraph?

Single newlines inside a block join into one paragraph. Use a blank line for a new paragraph, or an explicit <br> if you truly need a hard break.

Can I convert a whole README file?

Yes — paste the full document. Everything runs locally, so long drafts and unpublished docs stay on your machine.

Why did my table not convert?

Pipe tables are a Markdown extension, not core syntax in this lightweight engine. Convert them with a full CommonMark tool or write the table in HTML directly.

Privacy note

All processing happens in your browser. The values you enter never leave your device and are never transmitted to ToolPlex.