--- name: markdown-to-html description: 'Convert Markdown files to HTML similar to `marked.js`, `pandoc`, `gomarkdown/markdown`, or similar tools; or writing custom script to convert markdown to html and/or working on web template systems like `jekyll/jekyll`, `gohugoio/hugo`, or similar web templating systems that utilize markdown documents, converting them to html. Use when asked to "convert markdown to html", "transform md to html", "render markdown", "generate html from markdown", or when working with .md files and/or web a templating system that converts markdown to HTML output. Supports CLI and Node.js workflows with GFM, CommonMark, and standard Markdown flavors.' --- # Markdown to HTML Conversion Expert skill for converting Markdown documents to HTML using the marked.js library, or writing data conversion scripts; in this case scripts similar to [markedJS/marked](https://github.com/markedjs/marked) repository. For custom scripts knowledge is not confined to `marked.js`, but data conversion methods are utilized from tools like [pandoc](https://github.com/jgm/pandoc) and [gomarkdown/markdown](https://github.com/gomarkdown/markdown) for data conversion; [jekyll/jekyll](https://github.com/jekyll/jekyll) and [gohugoio/hugo](https://github.com/gohugoio/hugo) for templating systems. The conversion script or tool should handle single files, batch conversions, and advanced configurations. ## When to Use This Skill - User asks to "convert markdown to html" or "transform md files" - User wants to "render markdown" as HTML output - User needs to generate HTML documentation from .md files - User is building static sites from Markdown content - User is building template system that converts markdown to html - User is working on a tool, widget, or custom template for an existing templating system - User wants to preview Markdown as rendered HTML ## Converting Markdown to HTML ### Essential Basic Conversions For more see [basic-markdown-to-html.md](references/basic-markdown-to-html.md) ```text ```markdown # Level 1 ## Level 2 One sentence with a [link](https://example.com), and a HTML snippet like `

paragraph tag

`. - `ul` list item 1 - `ul` list item 2 1. `ol` list item 1 2. `ol` list item 1 | Table Item | Description | | One | One is the spelling of the number `1`. | | Two | Two is the spelling of the number `2`. | ```js var one = 1; var two = 2; function simpleMath(x, y) { return x + y; } console.log(simpleMath(one, two)); ``` ``` ```html

Level 1

Level 2

One sentence with a link, and a HTML snippet like <p>paragraph tag</p>.

  1. `ol` list item 1
  2. `ol` list item 2
Table Item Description
One One is the spelling of the number `1`.
Two Two is the spelling of the number `2`.
     var one = 1;
     var two = 2;

     function simpleMath(x, y) {
      return x + y;
     }
     console.log(simpleMath(one, two));
    
``` ``` ### Code Block Conversions For more see [code-blocks-to-html.md](references/code-blocks-to-html.md) ```text ```markdown your code here ``` ```html

    your code here
    
``` ```js console.log("Hello world"); ``` ```html

    console.log("Hello world");
    
``` ```markdown ``` ``` visible backticks ``` ``` ``` ```html

      ```

      visible backticks

      ```
      
``` ``` ### Collapsed Section Conversions For more see [collapsed-sections-to-html.md](references/collapsed-sections-to-html.md) ```text ```markdown
More info ### Header inside - Lists - **Formatting** - Code blocks ```js console.log("Hello"); ```
``` ```html
More info

Header inside

     console.log("Hello");
    
``` ``` ### Mathematical Expression Conversions For more see [writing-mathematical-expressions-to-html.md](references/writing-mathematical-expressions-to-html.md) ```text ```markdown This sentence uses `$` delimiters to show math inline: $\sqrt{3x-1}+(1+x)^2$ ``` ```html

This sentence uses $ delimiters to show math inline: 3x1 +(1+x )2

``` ```markdown **The Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality**\ $$\left( \sum_{k=1}^n a_k b_k \right)^2 \leq \left( \sum_{k=1}^n a_k^2 \right) \left( \sum_{k=1}^n b_k^2 \right)$$ ``` ```html

The Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
( k=1n ak bk ) 2 ( k=1 n ak2 ) ( k=1 n bk2 )

``` ``` ### Table Conversions For more see [tables-to-html.md](references/tables-to-html.md) ```text ```markdown | First Header | Second Header | | ------------- | ------------- | | Content Cell | Content Cell | | Content Cell | Content Cell | ``` ```html
First HeaderSecond Header
Content CellContent Cell
Content CellContent Cell
``` ```markdown | Left-aligned | Center-aligned | Right-aligned | | :--- | :---: | ---: | | git status | git status | git status | | git diff | git diff | git diff | ``` ```html
Left-aligned Center-aligned Right-aligned
git status git status git status
git diff git diff git diff
``` ``` ## Working with [`markedJS/marked`](references/marked.md) ### Prerequisites - Node.js installed (for CLI or programmatic usage) - Install marked globally for CLI: `npm install -g marked` - Or install locally: `npm install marked` ### Quick Conversion Methods See [marked.md](references/marked.md) **Quick Conversion Methods** ### Step-by-Step Workflows See [marked.md](references/marked.md) **Step-by-Step Workflows** ### CLI Configuration ### Using Config Files Create `~/.marked.json` for persistent options: ```json { "gfm": true, "breaks": true } ``` Or use a custom config: ```bash marked -i input.md -o output.html -c config.json ``` ### CLI Options Reference | Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | `-i, --input ` | Input Markdown file | | `-o, --output ` | Output HTML file | | `-s, --string ` | Parse string instead of file | | `-c, --config ` | Use custom config file | | `--gfm` | Enable GitHub Flavored Markdown | | `--breaks` | Convert newlines to `
` | | `--help` | Show all options | ### Security Warning ⚠️ **Marked does NOT sanitize output HTML.** For untrusted input, use a sanitizer: ```javascript import { marked } from 'marked'; import DOMPurify from 'dompurify'; const unsafeHtml = marked.parse(untrustedMarkdown); const safeHtml = DOMPurify.sanitize(unsafeHtml); ``` Recommended sanitizers: - [DOMPurify](https://github.com/cure53/DOMPurify) (recommended) - [sanitize-html](https://github.com/apostrophecms/sanitize-html) - [js-xss](https://github.com/leizongmin/js-xss) ### Supported Markdown Flavors | Flavor | Support | |--------|---------| | Original Markdown | 100% | | CommonMark 0.31 | 98% | | GitHub Flavored Markdown | 97% | ### Troubleshooting | Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | Special characters at file start | Strip zero-width chars: `content.replace(/^[\u200B\u200C\u200D\uFEFF]/,"")` | | Code blocks not highlighting | Add a syntax highlighter like highlight.js | | Tables not rendering | Ensure `gfm: true` option is set | | Line breaks ignored | Set `breaks: true` in options | | XSS vulnerability concerns | Use DOMPurify to sanitize output | ## Working with [`pandoc`](references/pandoc.md) ### Prerequisites - Pandoc installed (download from ) - For PDF output: LaTeX installation (MacTeX on macOS, MiKTeX on Windows, texlive on Linux) - Terminal/command prompt access ### Quick Conversion Methods #### Method 1: CLI Basic Conversion ```bash # Convert markdown to HTML pandoc input.md -o output.html # Convert with standalone document (includes header/footer) pandoc input.md -s -o output.html # Explicit format specification pandoc input.md -f markdown -t html -s -o output.html ``` #### Method 2: Filter Mode (Interactive) ```bash # Start pandoc as a filter pandoc # Type markdown, then Ctrl-D (Linux/macOS) or Ctrl-Z+Enter (Windows) Hello *pandoc*! # Output:

Hello pandoc!

``` #### Method 3: Format Conversion ```bash # HTML to Markdown pandoc -f html -t markdown input.html -o output.md # Markdown to LaTeX pandoc input.md -s -o output.tex # Markdown to PDF (requires LaTeX) pandoc input.md -s -o output.pdf # Markdown to Word pandoc input.md -s -o output.docx ``` ### CLI Configuration | Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | `-f, --from ` | Input format (markdown, html, latex, etc.) | | `-t, --to ` | Output format (html, latex, pdf, docx, etc.) | | `-s, --standalone` | Produce standalone document with header/footer | | `-o, --output ` | Output file (inferred from extension) | | `--mathml` | Convert TeX math to MathML | | `--metadata title="Title"` | Set document metadata | | `--toc` | Include table of contents | | `--template ` | Use custom template | | `--help` | Show all options | ### Security Warning ⚠️ **Pandoc processes input faithfully.** When converting untrusted markdown: - Use `--sandbox` mode to disable external file access - Validate input before processing - Sanitize HTML output if displayed in browsers ```bash # Run in sandbox mode for untrusted input pandoc --sandbox input.md -o output.html ``` ### Supported Markdown Flavors | Flavor | Support | |--------|---------| | Pandoc Markdown | 100% (native) | | CommonMark | Full (use `-f commonmark`) | | GitHub Flavored Markdown | Full (use `-f gfm`) | | MultiMarkdown | Partial | ### Troubleshooting | Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | PDF generation fails | Install LaTeX (MacTeX, MiKTeX, or texlive) | | Encoding issues on Windows | Run `chcp 65001` before using pandoc | | Missing standalone headers | Add `-s` flag for complete documents | | Math not rendering | Use `--mathml` or `--mathjax` option | | Tables not rendering | Ensure proper table syntax with pipes and dashes | ## Working with [`gomarkdown/markdown`](references/gomarkdown.md) ### Prerequisites - Go 1.18 or higher installed - Install the library: `go get github.com/gomarkdown/markdown` - For CLI tool: `go install github.com/gomarkdown/mdtohtml@latest` ### Quick Conversion Methods #### Method 1: Simple Conversion (Go) ```go package main import ( "fmt" "github.com/gomarkdown/markdown" ) func main() { md := []byte("# Hello World\n\nThis is **bold** text.") html := markdown.ToHTML(md, nil, nil) fmt.Println(string(html)) } ``` #### Method 2: CLI Tool ```bash # Install mdtohtml go install github.com/gomarkdown/mdtohtml@latest # Convert file mdtohtml input.md output.html # Convert file (output to stdout) mdtohtml input.md ``` #### Method 3: Custom Parser and Renderer ```go package main import ( "github.com/gomarkdown/markdown" "github.com/gomarkdown/markdown/html" "github.com/gomarkdown/markdown/parser" ) func mdToHTML(md []byte) []byte { // Create parser with extensions extensions := parser.CommonExtensions | parser.AutoHeadingIDs | parser.NoEmptyLineBeforeBlock p := parser.NewWithExtensions(extensions) doc := p.Parse(md) // Create HTML renderer with extensions htmlFlags := html.CommonFlags | html.HrefTargetBlank opts := html.RendererOptions{Flags: htmlFlags} renderer := html.NewRenderer(opts) return markdown.Render(doc, renderer) } ``` ### CLI Configuration The `mdtohtml` CLI tool has minimal options: ```bash mdtohtml input-file [output-file] ``` For advanced configuration, use the Go library programmatically with parser and renderer options: | Parser Extension | Description | |------------------|-------------| | `parser.CommonExtensions` | Tables, fenced code, autolinks, strikethrough, etc. | | `parser.AutoHeadingIDs` | Generate IDs for headings | | `parser.NoEmptyLineBeforeBlock` | No blank line needed before blocks | | `parser.MathJax` | MathJax support for LaTeX math | | HTML Flag | Description | |-----------|-------------| | `html.CommonFlags` | Common HTML output flags | | `html.HrefTargetBlank` | Add `target="_blank"` to links | | `html.CompletePage` | Generate complete HTML page | | `html.UseXHTML` | Generate XHTML output | ### Security Warning ⚠️ **gomarkdown does NOT sanitize output HTML.** For untrusted input, use Bluemonday: ```go import ( "github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday" "github.com/gomarkdown/markdown" ) maybeUnsafeHTML := markdown.ToHTML(md, nil, nil) html := bluemonday.UGCPolicy().SanitizeBytes(maybeUnsafeHTML) ``` Recommended sanitizer: [Bluemonday](https://github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday) ### Supported Markdown Flavors | Flavor | Support | |--------|---------| | Original Markdown | 100% | | CommonMark | High (with extensions) | | GitHub Flavored Markdown | High (tables, fenced code, strikethrough) | | MathJax/LaTeX Math | Supported via extension | | Mmark | Supported | ### Troubleshooting | Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | Windows/Mac newlines not parsed | Use `parser.NormalizeNewlines(input)` | | Tables not rendering | Enable `parser.Tables` extension | | Code blocks without highlighting | Integrate with syntax highlighter like Chroma | | Math not rendering | Enable `parser.MathJax` extension | | XSS vulnerabilities | Use Bluemonday to sanitize output | ## Working with [`jekyll`](references/jekyll.md) ### Prerequisites - Ruby version 2.7.0 or higher - RubyGems - GCC and Make (for native extensions) - Install Jekyll and Bundler: `gem install jekyll bundler` ### Quick Conversion Methods #### Method 1: Create New Site ```bash # Create a new Jekyll site jekyll new myblog # Change to site directory cd myblog # Build and serve locally bundle exec jekyll serve # Access at http://localhost:4000 ``` #### Method 2: Build Static Site ```bash # Build site to _site directory bundle exec jekyll build # Build with production environment JEKYLL_ENV=production bundle exec jekyll build ``` #### Method 3: Live Reload Development ```bash # Serve with live reload bundle exec jekyll serve --livereload # Serve with drafts bundle exec jekyll serve --drafts ``` ### CLI Configuration | Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | `jekyll new ` | Create new Jekyll site | | `jekyll build` | Build site to `_site` directory | | `jekyll serve` | Build and serve locally | | `jekyll clean` | Remove generated files | | `jekyll doctor` | Check for configuration issues | | Serve Options | Description | |---------------|-------------| | `--livereload` | Reload browser on changes | | `--drafts` | Include draft posts | | `--port ` | Set server port (default: 4000) | | `--host ` | Set server host (default: localhost) | | `--baseurl ` | Set base URL | ### Security Warning ⚠️ **Jekyll security considerations:** - Avoid using `safe: false` in production - Use `exclude` in `_config.yml` to prevent sensitive files from being published - Sanitize user-generated content if accepting external input - Keep Jekyll and plugins updated ```yaml # _config.yml security settings exclude: - Gemfile - Gemfile.lock - node_modules - vendor ``` ### Supported Markdown Flavors | Flavor | Support | |--------|---------| | Kramdown (default) | 100% | | CommonMark | Via plugin (jekyll-commonmark) | | GitHub Flavored Markdown | Via plugin (jekyll-commonmark-ghpages) | | RedCarpet | Via plugin (deprecated) | Configure markdown processor in `_config.yml`: ```yaml markdown: kramdown kramdown: input: GFM syntax_highlighter: rouge ``` ### Troubleshooting | Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | Ruby 3.0+ fails to serve | Run `bundle add webrick` | | Gem dependency errors | Run `bundle install` | | Slow builds | Use `--incremental` flag | | Liquid syntax errors | Check for unescaped `{` in content | | Plugin not loading | Add to `_config.yml` plugins list | ## Working with [`hugo`](references/hugo.md) ### Prerequisites - Hugo installed (download from ) - Git (recommended for themes and modules) - Go (optional, for Hugo Modules) ### Quick Conversion Methods #### Method 1: Create New Site ```bash # Create a new Hugo site hugo new site mysite # Change to site directory cd mysite # Add a theme git init git submodule add https://github.com/theNewDynamic/gohugo-theme-ananke themes/ananke echo "theme = 'ananke'" >> hugo.toml # Create content hugo new content posts/my-first-post.md # Start development server hugo server -D ``` #### Method 2: Build Static Site ```bash # Build site to public directory hugo # Build with minification hugo --minify # Build for specific environment hugo --environment production ``` #### Method 3: Development Server ```bash # Start server with drafts hugo server -D # Start with live reload and bind to all interfaces hugo server --bind 0.0.0.0 --baseURL http://localhost:1313/ # Start with specific port hugo server --port 8080 ``` ### CLI Configuration | Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | `hugo new site ` | Create new Hugo site | | `hugo new content ` | Create new content file | | `hugo` | Build site to `public` directory | | `hugo server` | Start development server | | `hugo mod init` | Initialize Hugo Modules | | Build Options | Description | |---------------|-------------| | `-D, --buildDrafts` | Include draft content | | `-E, --buildExpired` | Include expired content | | `-F, --buildFuture` | Include future-dated content | | `--minify` | Minify output | | `--gc` | Run garbage collection after build | | `-d, --destination ` | Output directory | | Server Options | Description | |----------------|-------------| | `--bind ` | Interface to bind to | | `-p, --port ` | Port number (default: 1313) | | `--liveReloadPort ` | Live reload port | | `--disableLiveReload` | Disable live reload | | `--navigateToChanged` | Navigate to changed content | ### Security Warning ⚠️ **Hugo security considerations:** - Configure security policy in `hugo.toml` for external commands - Use `--enableGitInfo` carefully with public repositories - Validate shortcode parameters for user-generated content ```toml # hugo.toml security settings [security] enableInlineShortcodes = false [security.exec] allow = ['^go$', '^npx$', '^postcss$'] [security.funcs] getenv = ['^HUGO_', '^CI$'] [security.http] methods = ['(?i)GET|POST'] urls = ['.*'] ``` ### Supported Markdown Flavors | Flavor | Support | |--------|---------| | Goldmark (default) | 100% (CommonMark compliant) | | GitHub Flavored Markdown | Full (tables, strikethrough, autolinks) | | CommonMark | 100% | | Blackfriday (legacy) | Deprecated, not recommended | Configure markdown in `hugo.toml`: ```toml [markup] [markup.goldmark] [markup.goldmark.extensions] definitionList = true footnote = true linkify = true strikethrough = true table = true taskList = true [markup.goldmark.renderer] unsafe = false # Set true to allow raw HTML ``` ### Troubleshooting | Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | "Page not found" on paths | Check `baseURL` in config | | Theme not loading | Verify theme in `themes/` or Hugo Modules | | Slow builds | Use `--templateMetrics` to identify bottlenecks | | Raw HTML not rendering | Set `unsafe = true` in goldmark config | | Images not loading | Check `static/` folder structure | | Module errors | Run `hugo mod tidy` | ## References ### Writing and Styling Markdown - [basic-markdown.md](references/basic-markdown.md) - [code-blocks.md](references/code-blocks.md) - [collapsed-sections.md](references/collapsed-sections.md) - [tables.md](references/tables.md) - [writing-mathematical-expressions.md](references/writing-mathematical-expressions.md) - Markdown Guide: - Styling Markdown: ### [`markedJS/marked`](references/marked.md) - Official documentation: - Advanced options: - Extensibility: - GitHub repository: ### [`pandoc`](references/pandoc.md) - Getting started: - Official documentation: - Extensibility: - GitHub repository: ### [`gomarkdown/markdown`](references/gomarkdown.md) - Official documentation: - Advanced configuration: - Markdown processing: - GitHub repository: ### [`jekyll`](references/jekyll.md) - Official documentation: - Configuration options: - Plugins: - [Installation](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/installation/) - [Generators](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/generators/) - [Converters](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/converters/) - [Commands](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/commands/) - [Tags](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/tags/) - [Filters](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/filters/) - [Hooks](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/plugins/hooks/) - GitHub repository: ### [`hugo`](references/hugo.md) - Official documentation: - All Settings: - Editor Plugins: - GitHub repository: