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RunDown is a word processor that saves your writing as Markdown, the plain-text format used by GitHub, Obsidian, Notion, Reddit and most note apps. You type Markdown; RunDown shows it formatted.

How live preview works

Every piece of Markdown renders the moment it is closed. Type **bold and it stays plain; type the closing ** and it turns bold and the asterisks disappear. The same goes for *italic*, `code`, links, $math$ and the rest.

Put the cursor inside a formatted piece and it opens back up into plain Markdown, so you can see and change exactly what you typed. Move the cursor out and it renders again.

• Lines (headings, lists, quotes, rules) render when the cursor leaves the line. Press Enter after # Title and the heading appears.
• Blocks (code blocks between ``` fences, $$ math blocks and tables) render once the closing fence is there and the cursor is outside the block. An unclosed fence stays plain text.
• Prefer to keep the formatting visible while you edit? Settings › Editing › While you edit inside formatting › Keep the formatting shows the markers next to formatted text instead.
• Source view shows plain Markdown everywhere. Read view renders everything and locks the page so you can read without changing anything. Ctrl+/ switches between Live and Source.

Markdown cheat sheet

Type this	To get
# Heading 1 … ###### Heading 6	Headings
**bold**, *italic*, ***both***	bold, italic, both
~~strike~~, ==highlight==	strike, highlight
`code`	Inline code
[text](https://example.com)	A link (Ctrl+click to open it)
	A picture. You can also paste or drop an image.
- item or * item	Bullet list (indent with Tab)
1. item	Numbered list
- [ ] task, - [x] done	Checklist; click the box to tick it
> quote	Block quote (> > nests)
---	Horizontal rule
```python … ```	Code block, with its language
| A | B | | --- | --- | | 1 | 2 |	Table. :---: centers a column, ---: right-aligns it.
$E = mc^2$	Inline math (LaTeX)
$$ … $$	Display math, centered on its own lines
\*	A literal * that isn't formatting

Keyboard shortcuts

On a Mac use ⌘ for Ctrl.

Ctrl+B / I / E	Bold / italic / inline code
Ctrl+Shift+X / H	Strikethrough / highlight
Ctrl+K	Insert or edit a link
Ctrl+Alt+1 … 6, Ctrl+Alt+0	Heading 1 to 6, normal text
Ctrl+Shift+8 / 7 / 9	Bullet list / numbered list / checklist
Ctrl+Shift+.	Block quote
Ctrl+Enter	Tick or untick the checklist item
Tab / Shift+Tab	Indent / outdent a list item; next cell in a table
Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z	Undo, redo
Ctrl+F / Ctrl+H	Find / find and replace
Ctrl+/	Switch between Live and Source
Ctrl+S	Save now (RunDown also saves as you type)
Ctrl+Shift+V	Paste as plain text
Esc	Close the find bar, or leave the page so everything renders

Editing tricks

• Lists continue themselves. Enter at the end of a list item starts the next one (numbered lists count up, checklists add a new box). Enter on an empty item ends the list, and Backspace right after a bullet removes it.
• Code and math blocks close themselves. Type ``` (with a language if you like) or $$ and press Enter: the closing fence is added below the cursor.
• Toolbar buttons toggle. Click Bold inside bold text to remove it. With nothing selected, Bold wraps the word the cursor is in.
• Pasting formatted text from a web page, Google Docs or Word turns it into Markdown. Ctrl+Shift+V pastes plain text. Pasted or dropped pictures are kept with the document.
• Outline (the list button at the right of the toolbar) lists your headings; pick one to jump to it.
• Escape leaves the page and everything renders, which is handy for a quick look before you share.

Documents and saving

• RunDown saves as you type. The note next to the name says when it last saved.
• The name at the top is optional: without one, the first line of the document names it.
• Documents lists everything you've written, newest first, with search once you have a few. Each one can be downloaded, duplicated or deleted there.
• Import .md or .txt files on the Documents page, or drop one onto the page while you write.
• Settings › Data › Export all saves every document (and its pictures) in one backup file. Import it on another device or browser to bring everything across.

Exporting

• Markdown (.md): the text exactly as you wrote it. Pictures you pasted are written into the file so it stands on its own.
• Web page (.html): a single, styled file that opens in any browser, with math and pictures included.
• Print or save as PDF: prints just the page. Choose "Save as PDF" as the printer to make a PDF.
• Copy as formatted text: paste straight into Google Docs, Word, Outlook or Gmail with the formatting intact.

Privacy

• Your writing stays in this browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the app doesn't collect usage statistics.
• The app loads nothing from other sites; its fonts, icons and math typesetting are built in. Pictures you link to by web address load from that address.
• It works offline once you've opened it, and can be installed as an app from the browser's menu.

Credits: Atkinson Hyperlegible font © 2020 Braille Institute of America, Inc., SIL Open Font License 1.1. KaTeX © Khan Academy and contributors (MIT). Toolbar and gear icons after Feather Icons (MIT).

What's new

v1.0 · October 2026

The first version: a Markdown word processor with live preview (plain while you edit inside a piece of Markdown, rendered the moment it closes), Source and Read views, headings, emphasis, highlight, links, pictures, lists, checklists, quotes, code blocks, tables and LaTeX math, a formatting toolbar and shortcuts, find and replace, an outline, documents saved in the browser, import, export to Markdown, HTML, PDF and formatted text, Settings, and an installable app that works offline.