What does Markdown mean?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language. You add small, readable symbols to plain text, then a Markdown renderer turns those symbols into headings, links, lists, code blocks, and other formatted content.

A .md file is a plain-text file whose content is written in Markdown. README.md is a common example. You can open the source in any text editor or use a Markdown viewer to see the rendered formatting.

Is Markdown the same as HTML?

No. Markdown is a smaller, more readable authoring syntax. A Markdown processor commonly converts it to HTML for display, but Markdown does not expose the full structure and styling controls available in HTML.

Do all Markdown apps render the same output?

Not always. Core syntax is widely shared, but platforms can add extensions. GitHub Flavored Markdown adds features such as tables, task lists, autolinks, and strikethrough. Check the target platform when exact rendering matters.

Markdown basics

What is Markdown?

Markdown is readable plain text that uses simple symbols to add structure and formatting.

View Markdown Try the editor

Markdown source beside a rendered preview with lists and tables

A plain-text format with visible structure

In a rich-text editor, formatting is usually stored behind the document you see. In Markdown, the formatting instructions stay in the text. A line that begins with # is a heading, and text wrapped in ** is bold.

The source remains readable before it is rendered. That makes Markdown useful for documentation, README files, notes, technical articles, issue descriptions, and content stored in version control.

In one sentence

Markdown adds formatting with ordinary text characters, while keeping the original source portable and readable.

What is a .md file?

It is a plain-text file that uses Markdown syntax. The extension tells compatible apps how to render it.

README.md

# Project name

A short description with **important details**.

- Install the package
- Read the documentation
- Open an issue if you get stuck

Open anywhere

Any plain-text editor can open the source, even if it does not render the formatting.

Preview when needed

A Markdown viewer turns the source into a readable page without changing the file.

Track clean changes

Because the file is text, version-control systems can show exactly which lines changed.

Core Markdown syntax

These examples cover the basic patterns. Use the docs for the complete syntax reference and platform-specific features.

PatternMarkdown sourceRendered meaning

Heading# Project notesProject notes

Bold**important**important

Link[mdedit.ai](https://mdedit.ai)mdedit.ai

List

- First item
- Second item

A two-item bullet list

Inline code`npm run build`npm run build

Quote> Keep the source readable.An indented quotation

Open the syntax cheatsheet Browse detailed Markdown features

Markdown compared with rich text

Both can produce formatted documents, but they store and expose that formatting differently.

Differences between Markdown and rich-text document formats
Question	Markdown	Rich text
How is formatting stored?	Visible symbols in plain text	Formatting data managed by the editor or file format
Can any text editor open it?	Yes	Not always, especially for binary document formats
Is the raw source readable?	Usually	Depends on the storage format
Is layout control comprehensive?	No, it favors common document structure	Often broader and more visual