How to Convert Markdown to HTML
Markdown is written to be read as plain text and rendered as structured HTML, which is why it has become the default for documentation, READMEs and static sites. Converting it is normally something a build tool does invisibly — but when you need the HTML directly, for an email template, a CMS field or a quick page, doing it here takes seconds and shows you the result as you type.
Write or load Markdown
Type it, paste it, or drop a .md file. The preview updates with every keystroke.
Check the preview
Switch between the rendered view and the raw HTML to see exactly what is being produced.
Copy or download
Take the HTML fragment for a template, or a complete styled page ready to open in a browser.
What Gets Converted
Everything in standard Markdown is handled — headings, emphasis, links, images, lists, blockquotes, code blocks and horizontal rules. On top of that, the GitHub Flavouredextensions are supported when the option is on: tables with column alignment, task lists with real checkboxes, and strikethrough. Those three are what most people actually mean when they say Markdown today, since GitHub's dialect became the de facto standard.
One detail worth knowing about, because it is invisible until it bites: two trailing spaces at the end of a line mean a hard line break. A single newline inside a paragraph is treated as a space, which surprises people who expect the text to break where they typed a return. This converter follows the standard behaviour, so if a line is not breaking where you expect, that is why.
On safety: any HTML you have not written as Markdown is escaped rather than passed through. That means a stray <script>in your input appears as visible text in the output rather than becoming executable markup. It is a deliberate trade — you lose the ability to embed raw HTML, and you gain a converter you can safely point at untrusted content.
Common Situations This Tool Solves
Pasting formatted content into a CMS
Many content fields accept HTML but not Markdown. Writing in Markdown and converting is far quicker than fighting a rich text editor.
Turning a README into a web page
The complete document option produces a styled, standalone HTML file you can open or host immediately.
Checking how Markdown will render
Different platforms support different extensions. The live preview shows what standard rendering produces before you publish.
Building email or template content
The fragment output drops straight into a template without the surrounding page structure getting in the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert Markdown to HTML for free?
Paste your Markdown and the HTML appears immediately alongside a live preview. Free, no signup, nothing uploaded.
Is my content uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser, which matters for unpublished drafts and internal documentation.
Does it support tables and task lists?
Yes, when the GitHub Flavoured option is on. Tables support column alignment and task lists render as real checkboxes.
Why is my line not breaking where I typed a return?
A single newline inside a paragraph is treated as a space in Markdown. End the line with two spaces to force a break.
Can I embed raw HTML in my Markdown?
No. HTML is escaped rather than passed through, which keeps the converter safe to use on untrusted content.
What is the complete HTML page option?
It wraps the output in a full document with a doctype and sensible default styling, so the file opens and looks reasonable straight away.
What are heading anchors?
They add an id to every heading derived from its text, so you can link directly to a section with a fragment URL.
Does it highlight code syntax?
It adds a language class to code blocks, which highlighting libraries use. The colouring itself needs a highlighter on the destination page.
Which Markdown dialect is this?
Standard Markdown plus the common GitHub extensions. It covers what nearly everyone writes in practice.
Can I convert HTML back to Markdown?
Yes, with our HTML to Markdown tool, which parses the DOM properly rather than using regular expressions.
Is there a file size limit?
Files above 5 MB are rejected because browser rendering becomes slow. Very large documents are better handled by a build tool.
Is this Markdown converter really free?
Completely free, with no limits, no signup and no premium wall. Everything runs in your browser.
Last updated: July 21, 2026 · FlipMyFormat Markdown to HTML
Written and maintained by the FlipMyFormat team