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Markdown to Outlook guide

Markdown Paste in Outlook Desktop vs Outlook on the Web

Neither Outlook desktop nor Outlook on the web parses Markdown. They differ in what HTML survives the paste: desktop uses Word's engine, web uses a browser engine.

Direct answer

No Outlook client parses Markdown. Outlook desktop on Windows, Outlook for Mac, Outlook on the web, and the new Outlook all show pasted #, **, and - characters literally. The clients differ only in how they render HTML on paste: desktop uses Microsoft Word's rendering engine and drops <style> blocks, CSS classes, and layout CSS, while the web client uses a browser engine and keeps more. Converting Markdown to HTML with every style inline works in all of them, because inline styles are the one thing every Outlook renderer keeps.

Open Markdown to Outlook converter

Sending to Gmail, Apple Mail, or a newsletter tool as well? The Markdown to Email converter covers the general email case. This tool targets Outlook only.

When to use this

  • The same email looks right in Outlook on the web and wrong in Outlook desktop.
  • You must pick one paste method that works for every recipient, on any Outlook version.
  • A teammate says the formatting broke, and you need to know which client caused it.

Steps

  1. Paste the Markdown draft into the converter.
  2. Check the preview shows headings, bold text, lists, links, and tables.
  3. Press Copy Rich. This writes inline-styled HTML to the clipboard as text/html.
  4. Paste into the Outlook compose window with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
  5. Test-send to an Outlook desktop account, because desktop is the strict renderer.

Example conversion

Markdown input
## Release 4.2 is live

Hi team,

The rollout finished at **09:40 UTC**.

- Search index rebuilt
- Export API returns `202` on queue
- [Release notes](https://example.com/releases/4-2)

Report problems in this thread.
Outlook HTML output
<h2 style="font-family:Calibri,'Segoe UI',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-weight:600;margin:16px 0 8px;color:#171717;">Release 4.2 is live</h2>
<p style="font-family:Calibri,'Segoe UI',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#242424;margin:10px 0;">Hi team,</p>
<p style="font-family:Calibri,'Segoe UI',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#242424;margin:10px 0;">The rollout finished at <strong>09:40 UTC</strong>.</p>
<ul style="font-family:Calibri,'Segoe UI',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#242424;margin:10px 0;padding-left:22px;"><li style="margin:4px 0;">Search index rebuilt</li><li style="margin:4px 0;">Export API returns <code style="font-family:Consolas,'Courier New',monospace;font-size:13px;background:#f3f3f3;padding:2px 5px;border-radius:3px;">202</code> on queue</li><li style="margin:4px 0;"><a href="https://example.com/releases/4-2" style="color:#0f6cbd;text-decoration:underline;">Release notes</a></li></ul>

Common mistakes

  • Do not test only in Outlook on the web. It renders with a browser engine and hides desktop failures.
  • Do not add a <style> block for the desktop client. Outlook desktop removes it before rendering.
  • Do not use Paste Special > Keep Text Only. It discards the HTML and leaves plain text.
  • Do not expect the new Outlook to parse Markdown. It renders HTML only, the same as the old clients.

FAQ

Does any version of Outlook read Markdown?
No. Outlook desktop for Windows and Mac, Outlook on the web, the new Outlook, and the mobile apps all render HTML. None of them contains a Markdown parser, and none of them has a setting that adds one.
Why does Outlook desktop break HTML that Outlook web renders fine?
Outlook desktop on Windows renders mail with Microsoft Word's HTML engine. Word supports an older, narrower subset of CSS, so <style> blocks, classes, flexbox, grid, and max-width are ignored or stripped. Outlook on the web uses a browser engine and supports much more.
What formatting survives a paste in every Outlook client?
Headings, bold, italic, strikethrough, ordered and unordered lists, links, simple tables, and inline code styling, as long as each element carries its own style attribute. That is what this converter emits.
Should I write for the desktop rules even if my team uses the web client?
Yes, when the mail leaves your team. You rarely know which Outlook a recipient runs. Markup that renders in Outlook desktop renders everywhere else too, so the strict rules are the safe default.

Related Outlook guides

How to Send ChatGPT Output as an Outlook Email

ChatGPT writes in Markdown and Outlook never parses it, so a direct paste shows ** and ## in the compose window. Convert first, then paste as rich text.

How to Paste a Markdown Table Into Outlook

A pipe table pasted into Outlook stays a wall of pipes and dashes. Outlook needs a real HTML table with a border and padding inline on every cell.

How to Build an Outlook Signature From Markdown

Write the signature in Markdown, convert it to inline-styled HTML, then paste the rich text into the Outlook signature editor. Keep it short and skip layout CSS.

Why Outlook Strips Your Formatting

Outlook removes formatting for two separate reasons: it never parses Markdown, and Word's HTML filter discards style blocks, CSS classes, and shorthand properties.