View a Markdown file online.
Open a .md file or paste Markdown and read it formatted, with tables, task lists and code blocks. Nothing leaves your machine until you choose to share it as a link.
- 10MBformatted on this page
- 0 bytessent until you share it
- Freeno account, nothing to install
Loading the tool…
What you see
Your Markdown, formatted on this page.
Choose a file or paste the text, and it appears under the drop area with headings, tables, task lists and code blocks in place. Your browser does the formatting, so nothing goes over the network.
- Formatted by your browser
- Links live, images off until you switch them on
- Source and Copy source one click away
What each part becomes
What the viewer formats, and what it shows as typed.
These are the rules a shared NudgeHost link uses, so the preview matches what your reader sees, apart from links and images.
| In the Markdown | On this page | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Headings, bold, italic and strikethrough | Formatted | CommonMark, plus GitHub's strikethrough |
| Tables | Formatted, with alignment kept | GitHub's table syntax |
| Task lists | Ticked and empty boxes | GitHub's task list syntax |
| Code blocks | A monospace box | Shown as written, with no highlighting |
| Links to http, https and mailto | Live links, with the host beside them | You opened the file, so they stay clickable |
| Links to anything else | Plain words | javascript: and relative paths never become links |
| HTML inside the Markdown | Shown as typed | It never runs, here or on a shared link |
| Images | A box naming the server | Load images fetches https images on this page only |
| Mermaid diagrams and maths | The code they were written in | Neither is supported |
A shared link follows the same rules, except that links show as plain words on a link made without an account, and images never load.
How it works
Read a Markdown file in three steps.
Open or paste it
Drop a .md file on the box, choose one from your computer, or paste the text. There's no account to make and nothing to install.
Read it, or check the source
The formatted view comes first. Source shows the text exactly as written, and Copy source puts it on your clipboard.
Share it if someone else needs it
Get a link uploads it to NudgeHost, and the person you send it to reads it formatted in their browser, on a phone or a laptop.
Sharing it
When someone else needs to read it.
A file on your computer has no address. Get a link gives it one, under the same formatting rules this page uses.
A link with a preview card
The link opens the formatted page, and apps that show link previews display a NudgeHost card with the file's name.
See whether it's been opened
Free accounts see how many times a link was opened. Pro and Studio add the time and country of each open, with a CSV export.
Add a password or an end date
Give the link a date and it stops working after it. On Pro and Studio, a password keeps the page closed to anyone without it.
Viewer or link
What this page does, and what a link adds.
| This viewer | A NudgeHost link | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file is | On your computer | On NudgeHost, at its own address |
| Who can open it | You, in this tab | Anyone you send the link to |
| Account needed | None | None. Without one, the link lasts 7 days |
| Largest Markdown file | 10MB | 25MB free, 250MB on Pro, 1GB on Studio |
| Shown formatted | Up to 10MB | Up to 2MB, then as source up to 10MB |
| Links in the text | Clickable | Clickable from an account, plain words without one |
| Images | Off, or on with Load images | Never loaded |
| Preview card in chat apps | Not included | A card with the file name |
| Open tracking | Not included | Counts free, time and country on Pro and Studio |
| Password | Not included | Pro and Studio |
| Price | Free | Free to start, Pro is $12 a month |
A free account holds 10 links at once, with no end date unless you set one.
Reading Markdown
Why open Markdown this way.
A README, a set of meeting notes or a chat exported from an AI tool usually arrives as a .md file, and most computers open it as plain text full of hashes and asterisks. This page formats it with the parser and the safety rules a NudgeHost link uses, and keeps it on your machine while you read.
When someone else needs to read it, Get a link turns it into a .md paste that opens formatted for them, with nothing to install. To send a file without reading it first, you can share a .md as a link straight from the uploader. For notes with no Markdown in them, you can paste text and get a link from the homepage's Paste text tab.
The free plan keeps 10 links live at once with no end date, and links in the text stay clickable for your readers. A link made without an account lasts 7 days, so you can start for free and decide about an account later.
Guides
When the Markdown has to go somewhere.
- A Markdown file as a linkUpload a .md and it opens formatted for whoever you send it to.Host a Markdown file
- Notes and snippetsPaste text on the homepage and get a link back.Share text online
- Rentry and the alternativesSeven alternatives to Rentry, compared from each tool's own pages.Compare Rentry alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Does this page upload my Markdown file?
No. Your browser reads and formats the file, and nothing is sent anywhere until you press Get a link.
Which Markdown does it understand?
CommonMark, plus GitHub's tables, task lists and strikethrough. HTML written inside the Markdown shows as typed and never runs.
Why don't the images show?
A Markdown image is a link to a picture on another server, and loading it tells that server your IP address. The viewer shows a box naming the server instead. Turn on Load images to fetch https images on this page. A shared NudgeHost link never loads them.
Are the links in my file clickable?
Yes, on this page, because you opened the file. Only http, https and mailto links work. Anything else, a relative path included, shows as plain words.
How big a file can I open?
Up to 10MB. A shared link formats up to 2MB and shows anything larger as source.
What if a file takes too long to format?
Each render gets 4 seconds, the same limit a shared link has. A file that runs over shows as source, which you can still read and copy.
Can I type Markdown and see it formatted?
Yes. Press Paste or type Markdown instead, and the formatted view beside the text box updates as you type.
Does it show Mermaid diagrams or maths?
No. A Mermaid block or a maths expression shows as the code it was written in.
Can I export the Markdown to PDF?
No, there's no PDF export. Copy source copies the text, and Get a link shares it formatted.
What happens when I press Get a link?
The Markdown goes up to NudgeHost as a .md paste and you get its link. A file over 2MB goes up as a file instead, and its link shows the source.
How long does a shared link last?
Signed out, 7 days, with up to 3 links at once, and links in the text show as plain words. With a free account the link stays until you delete it, its links stay clickable, and the free plan holds 10 active links.
Is the Markdown viewer free?
Yes. There's no account to make and nothing to pay.
Ready to view your file online?
Free forever, no credit card needed. The whole thing takes a few seconds.