---
title: "Effortlessly Convert Markdown to HTML with PowerShell"
description: "Discover quick and efficient methods to convert Markdown to HTML using PowerShell in this step-by-step tutorial."
canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/convert-markdown-to-html/"
---
# Effortlessly Convert Markdown to HTML with PowerShell
> Discover quick and efficient methods to convert Markdown to HTML using PowerShell in this step-by-step tutorial.
Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/convert-markdown-to-html/
---
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# Effortlessly Convert Markdown to HTML with PowerShell
[June Castillote](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/june/)16 September 20207 min. read
Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/)
Table of Contents
* [Prerequisites](#h-prerequisites)
* [Using Command-Line Tools To Convert Markdown to HTML](#h-using-command-line-tools-to-convert-markdown-to-html)
* [PowerShell](#h-powershell)
* [Pandoc](#h-pandoc)
* [Showdown](#h-showdown)
* [Using GUI Editors To Convert Markdown to HTML](#h-using-gui-editors-to-convert-markdown-to-html)
* [Notepad++](#h-notepad)
* [Atom](#h-atom)
* [Visual Studio Code](#h-visual-studio-code)
* [Typora](#h-typora)
* [Dillinger](#h-dillinger)
* [Other Markdown to HTML Conversion Tools](#h-other-markdown-to-html-conversion-tools)
* [Web Tools](#h-web-tools)
* [Static Site Generators](#h-static-site-generators)
* [Conclusion](#h-conclusion)
If you write documentation, there’s a good chance that you’re writing them in Markdown. If not, then you’re missing out. But, this article is not about convincing you to use Markdown. Instead, to teach you the many ways to convert Markdown to HTML.
If Markdown is so great, why is there are need to convert it to HTML? Remember that Markdown is the code (the Markdown syntax) behind how the document is formatted. When it’s time to view the Markdown document, you are still looking at its HTML rendering.
Some reasons when you will need to convert Markdown to HTML include:
* A Markdown file on its own is just code. In fact, it’s called a markup _language_. To view the document the way the Markdown formatting intended, it has to be in HTML.
* If you have a static website, sometimes it is quicker to write a web page using Markdown. Then, convert your Markdown page to HTML, which you can upload to your website.
* If you share raw Markdown documents with non-technical people, it would mean nothing to them.
* Suppose your boss asks you to share documentation of something. In that case, a raw Markdown document is not exactly the most appropriate format.
If you’re still interested, keep on reading. You’ll learn quick ways to convert Markdown to HTML, and even some methods that are more involved.
## Prerequisites
If you plan to follow along with the examples in this article, you need to have:
* A Markdown document for conversion. You can create your own or download this _[sample\_readme.md](https://gist.githubusercontent.com/junecastillote/57041bff2954d94c107e74d98e8956c1/raw/3adf910a5c450295eba7bfbf820bfbcde3032306/sample_readme.md)_ file.
* Other tools will be required only in individual sections. You will only need them if you choose to do the examples.
## Using Command-Line Tools To Convert Markdown to HTML
These command-line tools are useful if you’re converting multiple Markdown documents, running server-side processes, or scripting. In this section, you will learn about some command-line tools used to convert Markdown to HTML and how to use them.
### PowerShell
PowerShell 6.1 introduced the cmdlet `ConvertFrom-Markdown`. This cmdlet converts the contents of a Markdown file into a _Markdowninfo_ object in PowerShell. The latest release as of this writing is _[PowerShell 7.0.3](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/tag/v7.0.3)_.
Suppose the Markdown file to convert is named _sample\_readme.md._ Using the command below converts the contents of the file and save the result to a variable named `$md`.
```powershell
$md = ConvertFrom-Markdown -Path .\sample_readme.md
```
Then, `$md` variable becomes a `MarkdownInfo` object whose `HTML` property contains the HTML converted value of the Markdown file.
Properties of the Markdowninfo object
The command below exports the converted `HTML` value to a new HTML document with name _.\\sample\_readme.html_.
```powershell
$md.Html | Out-File -Encoding utf8 .\sample_readme.html
```
And when you open the _.\\sample\_readme.html_ using your browser, the content will be displayed similar to the image below.
HTML file converted from Markdown using PowerShell
### Pandoc
_[Pandoc](https://pandoc.org/index.html)_ is a universal document converter used to convert to and from many different formats, including Markdown to HTML. You can download Pandoc and view the installation instructions for different systems from this _[link](https://pandoc.org/installing.html)_. In this example, Pandoc is installed using _[Chocolatey](https://adamtheautomator.com/install-chocolatey/)_.
```powershell
choco install pandoc
```
The image below shows Pandoc being installed using Chocolatey.
Installing Pandoc on Windows 10 using Chocolatey
When you’ve installed Pandoc, you can open your command interpreter, such as CMD, and use the `pandoc` command. Suppose the Markdown document to convert is _sample\_readme.md_. Using the command below converts the Markdown contents of _sample\_readme.md_. The converted document is then saved to _sample\_readme.html_.
```powershell
pandoc sample_readme.md -t html -o sample_readme.html
```
The screenshot below shows the result of running the command above.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Pandoc
The image below shows the HTML output after using Pandoc to export Markdown to HTML. By default, there are no fancy formatting, and the appearance looks plain.
HTML output format using Pandoc
There are many more options available in Pandoc that can significantly alter the output, such as adding a title to the resulting HTML file and other metadata values. Learn more about what Pandoc can do by checking out their _[demo](https://pandoc.org/demos.html)_ page.
### Showdown
Showdown is another Markdown to HTML converter written in Javascript. This conversion tool can be used for client-side or server-side operations. Showdown requires _[Node.js to be installed on the computer](https://nodejs.org/en/download/)_ where you plan to use it.
Once Node.js is installed, the Showdown CLI tool can be installed using the command below. You can run this command in PowerShell or CMD on Windows.
```powershell
npm install showdown -g
```
You should see an installation process similar to the screenshot below.
Showdown is installed using npm
After Showdown is installed, using the command below converts the _sample\_readme.md_ to _sample\_readme.html_.
```powershell
showdown makehtml -i .\sample_readme.md -o .\sample_readme.html
```
The above command should give you a result similar to the output below.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Showdown
## Using GUI Editors To Convert Markdown to HTML
A Markdown document is edited as plain-text, which means that almost any text editor can create them. However, not all editors have the capacity to export or convert Markdown documents to HTML.
In this section, you’ll learn about some of the popular GUI editors, online and offline, capable of converting Markdown contents to HTML.
### Notepad++
_[Notepad++](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/)_ is a popular, free editor with several plugins available that you can install to extend its capabilities. One of these plugins is the _MarkdownViewer++,_ which adds the feature to render and export Markdown contents to HTML.
You can install the _MarkdownViewer++_ plugin by going to **Plugins —> Plugins Admin**. Once inside the **Plugins Admin** window, select the **MarkdownViewer++** and click on **Install**. When prompted, click **Yes**. Notepad++ will restart automatically.
Installing the MarkdownViewer++ plugin
After the plugin is installed, open the Markdown file and click on the **MarkdownViewer++** button. The pane where the HTML rendering of the Markdown file should show up. To export the content, click on **Export as —> HTML**. Then, save the file in your chosen location.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Notepad++
Below you can see that the HTML output is plain and has no style formatting.
HTML output format using Notepad++
### Atom
Another great editor that supports many languages is _[Atom](https://atom.io/)_. Atom also comes with _packages,_ that when installed, extend its features further. One of these packages is the _markdown-preview,_ which gives Atom the ability to save markdown content to HTML. Best of all, _markdown-preview_ is already installed by default!
The first step to convert Markdown to HTML is to open your Markdown document in Atom. Then toggle the Markdown preview by pressing the `CTRL+SHIFT+M` keyboard shortcut. Another way to toggle the Markdown preview is from **Packages —> Markdown Preview —> Toggle Preview**.
Once the preview pane shows up, right-click on the preview and click **Save as HTML**, and save the file in your preferred folder. Refer to the demonstration below.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Atom
Below, you can see what the HTML formatted file looks like when exported using Atom. You might recognize that the appearance is similar to how GitHub displays Markdown contents.
HTML output format using Atom
### Visual Studio Code
If you write code, then there’s a good chance that you are already using _[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)_ to write them. Even better if you do your documentation in Markdown, which means there’s only one more thing you need to convert Markdown to HTML. That’s the _[Markdown All in One](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=yzhang.markdown-all-in-one)_ extension.
While in Visual Studio Code, to install the _Markdown All in One_ extension, type in this command below in the terminal.
```powershell
code --install-extension yzhang.markdown-all-in-one
```
The demonstration below shows the result of running the command above.
Installing the Markdown All in One extension in Visual Studio Code
Once the extension is installed, you can export all the Markdown documents in the loaded folder, or just the current Markdown document. First, open the **Command Palette** by pressing `CTRL+SHIFT+P`. Then, start typing in “_Markdown”_ and click on the **Markdown All in One: Print current document to HTML** command.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Visual Studio Code
The image below shows how the HTML formatting looks like after exporting the Markdown document. As you can see, the design appears a lot different than all the previous ones.
HTML output format using Visual Studio Code
### Typora
_[Typora](https://typora.io/)_ is what you would call a _What You See Is What You Get_ or _(WYSIWYG)_ Markdown editor for Windows. What’s more, Typora supports theming, which means that you can apply pre-defined themes to your Markdown documents.
For example, the image below shows that the Markdown file is loaded in Typora with the theme _Newsprint_ applied. When you export the Markdown contents to HTML, the output should look exactly as when you’re editing it in Typora.
Markdown file in Typora
To convert Markdown to HTML using Typora, click **File —> Export —> HTML**. Then save the file in your preferred location.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Visual Studio Code
The image below shows that the HTML output looks exactly as how the Markdown is displayed inside Typora.
HTML output format using Typora
### Dillinger
So far, all you’ve learned about are tools to convert Markdown to HTML used offline. Which means you need to install them before you can use those tools. Apart from those, there are online tools available to do the job.
_Dillinger_ is one example of an online Markdown editor that can export content to HTML. To use Dillinger, go to its website at [https://dillinger.io/](https://dillinger.io/). Once on the website, you can upload your Markdown file from your computer or other cloud sources like Dropbox and Github.
Once the Markdown document is loaded in Dillinger, click on **Export As —> Styled HTML**. Then, the HTML file will be downloaded to your computer.
Convert Markdown to HTML using Dillinger
## Other Markdown to HTML Conversion Tools
Apart from what you’re already learned in this article, there are many more tools used to convert Markdown to HTML. Here are some that you may want to consider.
### Web Tools
* _[Notion](https://www.notion.so/)_
* _[Free Markdown to HTML Converter](https://markdowntohtml.com/)_
* _[Browserling Markdown to HTML](https://www.browserling.com/tools/markdown-to-html)_
* _[Aspose](https://products.aspose.app/pdf/conversion/md-to-html)_
### Static Site Generators
* _[Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/)_
* _[Hugo](https://gohugo.io/)_
## Conclusion
There are many tools to convert Markdown to HTML. Some tools are readily accessible online, and some need to be installed locally on your computer. All these tools have the same goal, but not all of them are created equal – so to speak.
It is up to you to find out which one of these tools works best for you. Whether you’re converting one Markdown file or a batch of Markdown files are once, there’s a tool that’s appropriate for you.
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