MarkdownForge

Markdown viewer

Open a .md file, paste Markdown or load it from GitHub, and read it the way it was meant to look.

No file open

Drop a .md file here

or use Open, Paste or a GitHub URL above. Files are read locally.

A reader for Markdown files

A .md file is plain text, so double-clicking it usually opens Notepad or TextEdit and shows the raw symbols. A Markdown viewer renders it: headings become headings, tables become tables and code gets syntax colours. This viewer adds a clickable outline so long docs like changelogs, specs and READMEs are easy to navigate.

Supported features

CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (tables, task lists, strikethrough, autolinks), footnotes, emoji shortcodes, syntax highlighting for common languages and Mermaid diagrams. HTML inside the Markdown is sanitised before display, so opening a file from someone else is safe.

Viewing .md files without a website

  • VS Code: open the file and press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+V.
  • macOS: Quick Look shows plain text unless you install a Markdown Quick Look extension.
  • GitHub: any .md file in a repository is rendered automatically.

Want a printable copy? Send it to Markdown to PDF.

Questions people ask

How do I open a .md file?
Press “Open .md file” or drop the file on the page. It is rendered instantly, with a clickable outline of its headings. The file is read by your browser and not uploaded.
Can I view a Markdown file from GitHub?
Yes. Paste the file’s GitHub URL (github.com/…/blob/…/README.md) or its raw URL and press Load. It is fetched straight from GitHub by your browser.
What if a URL won’t load?
The other site must allow cross-origin requests. GitHub raw files, Gists and GitLab raw URLs do; many other sites don’t. Download the file and open it instead.
Can I edit the file?
The viewer is read-only for distraction-free reading. Press “Edit in editor” to open the same document in the full Markdown editor.

Related tools

MF-01Markdown editorSplit-pane editor with live preview, autosave and exportsMF-03Markdown to PDFPaper size, theme and page breaks, printed from your browserMF-05Markdown to HTMLClean HTML fragment or a full styled page