A .mdfile is just a plain-text file written in Markdown. Open it in a basic text editor and you'll see the raw markup — # Heading, - list item, **bold**— instead of a nicely formatted document. To read it the way it's meant to look, you need a Markdown viewer. You don't have to install one.
View a Markdown file online in three steps
- Open your
.mdfile in any text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code — anything) and copy all of its contents. - Open the online Markdown editor and paste the contents into the left pane.
- The right pane instantly shows the rendered result — headings, lists, tables, links, and syntax-highlighted code, all formatted.
You can also drag the file's text in, or just start typing. The preview updates live as you go.
Choose how it reads
Different documents read best in different styles. Switch between four themes — Default, Terminal, Essay, and Minimal — to find the one that suits the file you're viewing. Technical docs often look best in Terminal; long-form writing reads nicely in Essay.
Want to keep or share it?
Viewing is free and requires nothing more than pasting. If you decide you want to share the rendered version, click Publish to turn it into a shareable link — optionally password-protected — that anyone can open in a browser without needing a Markdown app of their own.
Is it safe to paste content in?
Yes. The Markdown is rendered through a sanitizer, so any embedded HTML or scripts can't execute. And nothing is saved or published unless you explicitly choose to publish it — pasting to preview keeps everything in your browser.
Next: more about the Markdown viewer or read how to share Markdown online.