What is Markdown → HTML?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that converts plain text with simple symbols (# for headings, * for emphasis, - for lists) into structured HTML. Converting Markdown to HTML is the core step behind READMEs, static site generators, documentation, and CMS content. This converter supports GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), the most widely used dialect.

How to convert Markdown to HTML

1. 1Type or paste your Markdown into the editor.
2. 2The HTML output updates live in the preview pane.
3. 3Switch to the raw HTML view to copy the generated markup.
4. 4Paste the HTML into your site, email, or CMS.

Use Cases

Code Examples

# Title

- item **one**
- item two

`code`

<h1>Title</h1>
<ul>
  <li>item <strong>one</strong></li>
  <li>item two</li>
</ul>
<p><code>code</code></p>

Key Concepts

GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)

An extension of CommonMark adding tables, task lists ([ ]), strikethrough (~~), and autolinks. It's the most common dialect.

CommonMark

A strict, unambiguous Markdown specification that most modern parsers follow to ensure consistent output.

Sanitization

Markdown can contain raw HTML. Rendering untrusted Markdown without sanitizing (e.g. DOMPurify) can introduce XSS.

Tips & Best Practices

• ▸For untrusted input, always sanitize the generated HTML with a library like DOMPurify before inserting it into the DOM.
• ▸Fenced code blocks (```) preserve formatting and are safer than indenting by four spaces.
• ▸GFM tables need a header row and a separator row of dashes — a common source of 'my table won't render'.
• ▸A blank line separates paragraphs; forgetting it merges lines into one paragraph.