# vim-instant-markdown
**Repository Path**: mirrors_instant-markdown/vim-instant-markdown
## Basic Information
- **Project Name**: vim-instant-markdown
- **Description**: Instant Markdown previews from Vim
- **Primary Language**: Unknown
- **License**: Apache-2.0
- **Default Branch**: main
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No
## Statistics
- **Stars**: 0
- **Forks**: 1
- **Created**: 2022-01-06
- **Last Updated**: 2026-03-01
## Categories & Tags
**Categories**: Uncategorized
**Tags**: None
## README
vim-instant-markdown
====================
[](https://opencollective.com/instant-markdown/)
Want to instantly preview finicky markdown files, but don't want to leave your
favourite editor, or have to do it in some crappy browser text area?
**vim-instant-markdown** is your friend! When you open a markdown file in Vim,
a browser window will open which shows the compiled markdown in real-time, and
closes once you close the file in Vim.
As a bonus, [github-flavored-markdown][gfm] is supported, and styles used while
previewing are the same as those GitHub uses!
[![Screenshot][ss]][ssbig]
> [!TIP]
> Neovim users may want to check out [instant-markdown.nvim](https://github.com/instant-markdown/instant-markdown.nvim) -
> a full Lua rewrite of this plugin, which is compatible with the `instant-markdown-d` mini-server.
Installation
------------
**Quick start** (assuming you have all the necessary dependencies):
- [Install Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download)
- Install the mini-server by running either:
- `[sudo] npm -g install instant-markdown-d`
or the following command for the Python mini-server (which also requires
[pandoc][pandoc] to render markdown):
- `pip install --user smdv`
* Add the following to your `.vimrc`, depending on the plugin manager of your
choice:
- [vim-plug][plug]
```vim
Plug 'instant-markdown/vim-instant-markdown', {'for': 'markdown', 'do': 'npm install'}
```
- [Vundle][vundle]
```vim
Plugin 'instant-markdown/vim-instant-markdown'
```
- Vim8 built-in package manager (Execute the following command instead of adding it to `.vimrc`)
```shell
# NOTE:
# 1. Please check you have git installed.
# 2. Please replace * with a package name you want.
git clone https://github.com/instant-markdown/vim-instant-markdown.git ~/.vim/pack/*/start/
```
**Detailed instructions**
- If you're on Linux, ensure the following packages are installed:
- `xdg-utils`
- `curl`
- `nodejs` (Ensure that you are using a recent stable version. [Install `node` using `n` if needed][n].)
- If you're on Windows, you will need into install [cURL][curl] and put it on your `%PATH%`.
- If you do not use a plugin manager, copy the
[`ftplugin/markdown/instant-markdown.vim`](ftplugin/markdown/instant-markdown.vim)
file into `~/.vim/ftplugin/markdown/` (creating directories as
necessary),
- Open a markdown file in Vim and enjoy!
**Arch-based distributions**
- There is a package available on the AUR that installs the plugin:
- [vim-instant-markdown](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/vim-instant-markdown)
Configuration
-------------
Minimal default configuration:
```vim
filetype plugin on
"Uncomment to override defaults:
"let g:instant_markdown_slow = 1
"let g:instant_markdown_autostart = 0
"let g:instant_markdown_open_to_the_world = 1
"let g:instant_markdown_allow_unsafe_content = 1
"let g:instant_markdown_allow_external_content = 0
"let g:instant_markdown_mathjax = 1
"let g:instant_markdown_mermaid = 1
"let g:instant_markdown_logfile = '/tmp/instant_markdown.log'
"let g:instant_markdown_autoscroll = 0
"let g:instant_markdown_port = 8888
"let g:instant_markdown_python = 1
"let g:instant_markdown_theme = 'dark'
```
After installing the plugin, execute [`:help vim-instant-markdown`](./doc/vim-instant-markdown.txt)
to read more about what the different configuration options imply.
Supported Platforms
-------------------
OSX, Linux^, and Windows^^.
^ One annoyance in Linux is that there's no way to reliably open a
browser page in the background, so you'll likely have to manually refocus your
Vim session every time you open a Markdown file. If you have ideas on how to
address this I'd love to know!
^^ In Windows, there's no easy way to execute commands asynchronously
without popping up a cmd.exe window. Thus, if you run this plugin without
`g:instant_markdown_slow`, you might experience performance issues.
FAQ
---
1. It's not working!
- Make sure `instant-markdown-d` was installed and verify using
`InstantMarkdownDPath`.
- Try to launch with Vim and [vim-plug][plug] as follows:
- [Install vim-plug](https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug?tab=readme-ov-file#installation)
- Download this [minimal.vimrc](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/instant-markdown/vim-instant-markdown/master/doc/minimal.vimrc).
(Optional: This minimal file, installs under `/tmp`. Adjust paths from `/tmp` if needed).
- Run `vim -u minimal.vimrc +PlugInstall +qall`
- Open any markdown file as `vim -u vim -u minimal.vimrc my_markdown_file.md` and this plugin should activate.
- If you're on OSX and are using zsh, try to add `set shell=bash\ -i` in your
`.vimrc` to set interactive bash as the default Vim shell. (See [this
issue](http://github.com/instant-markdown/vim-instant-markdown/issues/41))
2. How to start it when autostart is off?
You can use the command `:InstantMarkdownPreview` to manually start the preview.
BTW, to disable it, use `:InstantMarkdownStop`.
_If you're curious, the code for the mini-server component for this plugin can
be found at http://github.com/instant-markdown/instant-markdown-d. A plugin can
easily be written for any editor to interface with the server to get the same
functionality found here._
[ss]: https://i.imgur.com/r7G6FNA.gif "Click for bigger preview"
[ssbig]: https://i.imgur.com/4Fty7pw.gif
[n]: https://github.com/tj/n
[gfm]: http://github.github.com/github-flavored-markdown/
[curl]: http://curl.haxx.se/download.html
[tpope-markdown]: https://github.com/tpope/vim-markdown
[plug]: https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug
[vundle]: https://github.com/gmarik/Vundle.vim
[pandoc]: https://pandoc.org/