GitHub

First Use

Now that you have Markdown Viewer installed, let’s open your first document!

Opening Markdown Files

Method 1: Drag and Drop

The simplest way to open a Markdown file:

  1. Open a new Chrome tab
  2. Drag your .md file from your file manager into the browser window
  3. Drop it — Markdown Viewer will automatically render it

Method 2: Double-Click (Requires File Access)

If you’ve enabled file access:

  1. Simply double-click any .md file
  2. It will open directly in Chrome with Markdown Viewer

Method 3: GitHub and Online Files

Markdown Viewer automatically renders Markdown files on:

  • GitHub repositories (raw file view)
  • GitLab repositories
  • Any URL ending in .md

Just navigate to the Markdown file, and it will be rendered automatically.

The Interface

When you open a Markdown file, you’ll see:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  📄 Document Title                    [Toolbar]     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                     │
│  ┌─────────┐                                        │
│  │ Table   │     Your beautifully rendered         │
│  │ of      │     Markdown content appears          │
│  │ Contents│     here with all formatting,         │
│  │         │     diagrams, and code highlighting   │
│  │ • H1    │                                        │
│  │ • H2    │                                        │
│  │   • H3  │                                        │
│  └─────────┘                                        │
│                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Toolbar Options

Icon Function Shortcut
📥 Export to Word Ctrl/Cmd + S
🎨 Change Theme -
📐 Change Layout -
🔍+ Zoom In Ctrl/Cmd + +
🔍- Zoom Out Ctrl/Cmd + -
📑 Toggle TOC Ctrl/Cmd + B

Exporting to Word

This is the core feature of Markdown Viewer!

Quick Export

  1. Open your Markdown file
  2. Click the Download button or press Ctrl/Cmd + S
  3. Watch the progress indicator
  4. The .docx file downloads automatically

What Gets Converted

Markdown Element Word Result
Headings Styled headings
Bold/Italic Formatted text
Code blocks Syntax highlighted
Tables Formatted tables
Images Embedded images
Mermaid diagrams High-res PNG
LaTeX formulas Editable equations
Links Clickable hyperlinks

Switching Themes

  1. Click the Theme button in the toolbar
  2. Browse the 29 available themes
  3. Click a theme to preview it
  4. The document updates instantly

Theme Recommendations

Use Case Recommended Theme
Business reports Business
Academic papers Academic
Technical docs Technical
Chinese documents Heiti or Mixed
Creative content Typewriter, Handwritten
General use Default

Adjusting the View

Layout Options

  • Normal (1000px) - Standard reading width
  • Full Screen - Uses entire browser width
  • Narrow (530px) - Preview how it looks in Word

Zoom

  • Ctrl/Cmd + + — Zoom in
  • Ctrl/Cmd + - — Zoom out
  • Ctrl/Cmd + 0 — Reset zoom
  • Zoom range: 50% to 400%

Table of Contents

  • Press Ctrl/Cmd + B to toggle the sidebar TOC
  • Click any heading to jump to that section
  • Auto-generated from your document headings

Tips for Best Results

  1. Use standard Markdown syntax — The more standard your Markdown, the better the conversion

  2. Test complex diagrams first — For documents with many Mermaid diagrams, do a test export

  3. Check theme compatibility — Some themes work better with certain content types

  4. Enable caching — Keep caching enabled for faster repeat opens

Next Steps