Markdown
An MD file is a Markdown-formatted text document using lightweight markup syntax created by John Gruber in 2004. It uses plain text with simple formatting symbols like hashes, asterisks, and brackets to produce structured content.
This format is not currently supported for conversion in FileDex.
Common questions
What is an MD file?
An MD file is a Markdown document that uses plain text formatting syntax to create structured content like headings, lists, links, and code blocks.
How do I open an MD file?
Any text editor can open MD files. For rendered preview, use VS Code, Typora, Obsidian, or view them directly on GitHub.
How do I convert MD to HTML?
Use a Markdown processor like Pandoc, marked, or markdown-it to convert MD files to HTML. Many editors also offer built-in export to HTML and PDF.
What makes .MD special
Markdown was designed to be as readable in its raw form as in its rendered output, prioritizing human readability over markup verbosity. The original Markdown specification by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz defined basic elements like headings, emphasis, links, images, code blocks, and lists. CommonMark (2014) formalized an unambiguous specification, while GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) added tables, task lists, strikethrough, and autolinks. Markdown has become the dominant format for README files, documentation, static site generators, note-taking applications, and technical writing platforms. Processors like Pandoc can convert Markdown to dozens of output formats including HTML, PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, and EPUB.
Continue reading — full technical deep dive
Technical reference
- MIME Type
text/markdown- Developer
- John Gruber
- Year Introduced
- 2004
- Open Standard
- Yes — View specification