Markdown Viewer
Open local .md files and read them beautifully — Mermaid, math, footnotes, code — all in your browser.
Read Markdown files beautifully rendered — nothing uploaded, nothing stored
Bracepad's Markdown Viewer is a free, browser-based reader and preview for
.md and .markdown files. Drop a single file, a
folder of docs plus images, or paste Markdown text directly — it renders
instantly into a beautiful reading view with a live, clickable outline. Support covers
everything you expect from a GitHub-style renderer: CommonMark, the full GFM table and task-list
set, footnotes, heading anchors with table of contents, Mermaid diagrams,
$…$ / $$…$$ KaTeX-style math, and syntax-highlighted code with
line numbers, copy buttons, and per-language token colours.
The viewer is tuned for reading as well as previewing. Narrow and wide reading columns, a serif toggle, and a focus mode that dims everything but the paragraph under your cursor. The outline panel filters by heading depth so you can collapse higher level-1 and level-2 titles. In-doc search hits every occurrence with match highlighting, and the Recent panel keeps the last several docs opened locally (IndexedDB, on your machine) for one-click reopen.
Export is three clicks away: print-ready PDF (the print stylesheet avoids breaking inside code blocks and Mermaid diagrams), a self-contained HTML file with all fonts and styles baked in (email), or a Word (.docx) preserving headings, tables, lists, code blocks and emphasis.
Do my files get uploaded anywhere?
No. Files are read locally by your browser via the File System Access API (or a standard file input) and rendered in place. Recent-file snapshots and reading state live in your browser storage (IndexedDB + localStorage) and never leave your machine. There is no account, no tracking, and no telemetry.
Which Markdown features are supported?
CommonMark plus the full GitHub Flavored Markdown spec — tables, strikethrough, task lists, and autolinks — plus footnotes, heading anchors with a clickable outline, Mermaid diagram code fences, $…$ / $$…$$ KaTeX math, and fenced code blocks with per-language syntax highlighting.
Can the viewer render Mermaid diagrams inside Markdown?
Yes. Any fenced code block with a mermaid info string renders
as a live diagram that respects the dark/light theme. Supports flowchart,
sequence,
class, state diagram, ER diagram, gantt, pie, mindmap, timeline,
quadrant chart, and sankey.
Can I open a folder of Markdown with relative image links?
Yes. Pick a folder (or drop one) and the viewer resolves relative asset paths
against the folder root. A doc that references
../assets/diagram.png or ./screenshot.jpg renders
exactly as it would on GitHub — no upload, no moving files.
Which export formats are available?
Three. PDF via the browser's print-to-save (print tuned to not break inside code blocks and diagrams), a standalone HTML file with all styles and fonts embedded (solo docx), and a Word (.docx) file that preserves headings, tables, lists, code blocks and inline styles.