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Markdown to email guide

How to Paste Markdown Into Gmail

Gmail's compose window does not render Markdown. Convert the Markdown to inline-styled HTML, copy as rich text, and paste — headings, bold, lists, and links arrive formatted.

Direct answer

Gmail does not render Markdown in the compose window — pasted **bold** and - bullets stay as literal characters. Convert the Markdown to inline-styled HTML, copy it as rich text, then paste into Gmail. The compose window accepts rich-text pastes, so headings, bold, lists, and links render immediately.

Open Markdown to Email converter

When to use this

  • A Markdown draft, README excerpt, or AI answer must go out as a Gmail message.
  • Pasted text shows asterisks and pound signs instead of bold and headings.
  • You want clickable links and real bullet lists without formatting each line by hand in the toolbar.

Steps

  1. Paste the Markdown draft into the converter.
  2. Preview the output to confirm headings, bullets, and links converted.
  3. Press Copy Rich to copy the formatted version.
  4. Click into the Gmail compose body and paste normally.
  5. Send a test message to yourself if the email goes to a client or a large list.

Example conversion

Markdown input
# Launch update

Hi all,

The new pricing page is **live**.

- [Pricing page](https://example.com/pricing)
- Docs updated
- Old links redirect

Questions? Reply here.
Email HTML output
<h1 style="margin:24px 0 12px;font-size:24px;color:#111;">Launch update</h1>
<p style="margin:12px 0;line-height:1.6;color:#374151;">Hi all,</p>
<p style="margin:12px 0;line-height:1.6;color:#374151;">The new pricing page is <strong>live</strong>.</p>
<ul style="margin:12px 0;padding-left:20px;"><li style="margin:4px 0;"><a href="https://example.com/pricing" style="color:#2563eb;text-decoration:underline;">Pricing page</a></li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Docs updated</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Old links redirect</li></ul>
<p style="margin:12px 0;line-height:1.6;color:#374151;">Questions? Reply here.</p>

Common mistakes

  • Do not paste with Ctrl+Shift+V — that is paste-without-formatting and strips the rich text back to plain.
  • Do not compose in Gmail's Plain text mode; the paste loses all formatting there.
  • Do not leave raw URLs as Markdown [text](url) syntax — convert first so links are clickable.

FAQ

Does Gmail support Markdown?
No. Gmail's compose window is a rich-text editor with no Markdown parsing. Some browser extensions add it, but out of the box, pasted Markdown stays as literal characters. Converting to HTML first works without any extension.
Why did my paste lose all formatting in Gmail?
Two common causes: you pasted with Ctrl+Shift+V (paste without formatting), or the compose window is in Plain text mode. Use a normal paste and switch off Plain text mode in the compose menu.
Can I paste the raw HTML source into Gmail instead?
Not directly — pasting HTML source into the compose body shows the tags as text. Gmail needs the HTML on the clipboard as rich text, which is what the Copy Rich button provides.
Do Markdown headings become real headings in Gmail?
Yes. # and ## convert to h1 and h2 elements with inline font sizes, and Gmail keeps them on paste. Recipients see larger, bolder heading text, not pound signs.

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