Documents · .md
What Is an MD File?
A .md file is a plain text document written in Markdown formatting syntax.
- Extension
- .md
- Full name
- Markdown document
- Type
- Document
- MIME type
- text/markdown
- Developed by
- John Gruber (2004)
Free MD Tools
These run in your browser. Your MD files are never uploaded.
About MD Files
Markdown is a way to write formatted text using plain characters: a line starting with # becomes a heading, words wrapped in asterisks become bold or italic, and lines starting with a dash become a list. A .md file is just plain text, so it opens in any text editor, but apps such as GitHub, Obsidian, Notion and many documentation tools display it as formatted text. README.md files explain what a software project does, and many note-taking apps store notes as Markdown.
How to Open an MD File
- Any device
- Open it in any text editor, such as Notepad, TextEdit or VS Code, to see the raw text.
- Windows & Mac
- Open it in VS Code, Obsidian or Typora to see it formatted.
- iPhone & Android
- Use a Markdown app such as Obsidian
MD File Questions
How do I convert Markdown to Word or PDF?
Paste it into an editor that understands Markdown, such as Typora or Obsidian, and export it. Pandoc converts Markdown to almost any format from the command line.
What does .md mean on GitHub?
It means the file is written in Markdown. GitHub shows it formatted, with headings, lists and links.