README.md Viewer and Preview

Check a README before you push it. Open the file, paste the text, or drop in a GitHub link and see badges, tables, code blocks, task lists, alerts and Mermaid diagrams rendered the way GitHub shows them.

Preview a README

Free · no sign-up · runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded

The markdown-it README opened from a GitHub URL, rendered with badges, alerts and code in GitHub Dark — A real README opened straight from a GitHub link: badges, alerts, tables and code render like on GitHub.

Open a README from GitHub or from disk

Paste a GitHub URL such as https://github.com/user/repo/blob/main/README.md into Open → From URL — the viewer turns it into the raw file link for you and renders it. Gist links work the same way. For a project on your machine, drop the README.md onto the page or paste its contents into the editor.

Everything GitHub renders, rendered the same way

GitHub-Flavored Markdown is a specific dialect, and READMEs lean on its extras: pipe tables, - [ ] task lists, ~~strikethrough~~, autolinked URLs, > [!NOTE] / [!WARNING] alerts, <details> sections for long install instructions, shields.io badges, relative heading anchors and fenced code with language labels. All of them render here, with the same heading ids GitHub generates so your in-page links keep working. Mermaid diagrams — which GitHub also draws — render too.

Fix it before the commit

Switch to the Split layout and edit the README with live preview: the toolbar inserts tables and task lists, shortcuts handle bold, links and headings, and the outline shows whether your section structure reads well. Download the .md when it looks right, or copy the rendered HTML for a project site. READMEs are not the only Markdown files in a repository: instruction files such as CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md open the same way — see the CLAUDE.md viewer.

See it in action

GitHub-style Note, Important, Warning and Caution alerts, a quote and a collapsible details section in the GitHub Dark theme — GitHub-style alerts, blockquotes and collapsible <details> sections, in GitHub Dark.

Syntax-highlighted TypeScript, Python, Bash and diff code blocks with language labels and copy buttons — Code blocks get a language label, syntax highlighting for 50+ languages and a copy button — this is the One Dark theme.

KaTeX display math and a Mermaid flowchart rendered inside the preview — KaTeX formulas and Mermaid flowcharts render right inside the document.

How it works

1
Paste a GitHub README link into Open → From URL, or drop the file on the page.
2
Read it rendered, with badges, tables, code and diagrams in place.
3
Edit in Split mode, then download the updated README.md.

What you get

GitHub links, converted

blob and Gist URLs become raw files automatically.

GFM complete

Tables, task lists, alerts, footnotes, details, badges, autolinks, emoji.

Mermaid diagrams

Architecture and flow diagrams render in place.

Dark and light themes

Check how the README reads in GitHub Dark as well as Light.

Edit with preview

Fix formatting problems and download the corrected file.

Private

Local files never leave your browser; URL fetches are not stored.

Frequently asked questions

Will it look identical to GitHub?

The Markdown rules and heading ids match GitHub-Flavored Markdown, and the GitHub Light / Dark themes use GitHub's colours. Minor spacing differences are possible, but structure, tables, code and alerts render the same.

Can I preview a private repository's README?

Not by URL, because the server cannot authenticate to GitHub. Download the file and drop it on the page instead — it stays on your device.

Do relative image links work?

Images with absolute URLs render. Relative paths such as docs/logo.png cannot be resolved for a local file; when opened from a GitHub URL, use raw.githubusercontent.com paths.

Are badges shown?

Yes. Badges are ordinary images with absolute URLs and render normally.

Can I render a README from another site, not GitHub?

Yes, any public URL that returns a Markdown file works. HTML pages are rejected so you know to use the raw link.

Related tools

Ready when you are

Paste Markdown, drop a file, or open a URL — the preview appears instantly and everything stays on your device.

Open Markdown Viewer