Instant Markdown Preview in Quick Look

Everything you expect from great Markdown preview

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Marked to use Marked QL?

No. Marked QL works on its own as a Quick Look extension for Markdown files. If you also use Marked 3, Marked QL can share preview styles and offers an Open in Marked button.

How do I preview a Markdown file with Marked QL?

Select any supported Markdown file in Finder and press the Spacebar. Quick Look opens with a fully rendered preview. Marked QL registers as the Quick Look generator for Markdown files after installation.

Can I use Marked QL from Terminal?

Yes! See below.

What Markdown syntax does Marked QL support?

Marked QL uses Apex, a unified Markdown processor that combines CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown, MultiMarkdown, Kramdown, and more. It supports tables, footnotes, math (MathJax), Mermaid diagrams, syntax highlighting, task lists, callouts, and many other extensions.

Which macOS versions are supported?

Marked QL requires macOS 13.0 or later.

How does Marked QL relate to Marked 3?

Marked QL is a lightweight Quick Look companion for instant Finder previews. Marked 3 is a full live-preview app with export, proofreading, custom styles, and editor integration. They work great together, but each app stands on its own.

Quick Look from Terminal

macOS includes qlmanage, a command-line tool that opens Quick Look for any file or folder. Add a short shell function and you can preview Markdown from the command line — if Marked QL is registered as your Markdown viewer, you get the same rendered preview as in Finder.

For example, run ql README.md in a project directory to open a Quick Look preview of your readme without leaving Terminal.

Fish

function ql --description 'Quick Look a specified file or directory'
  if [ (count $argv) -gt 0 ]
    qlmanage >/dev/null 2>/dev/null -p $argv &
  else
    echo "No arguments given"
  end
end

Bash / Zsh

ql() {
  if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
    qlmanage >/dev/null 2>/dev/null -p "$@" &
  else
    echo "No arguments given"
  fi
}

Add the function to ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.config/fish/config.fish, then restart your shell or run source on the file.