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markdown converter

Element Converter

Markdown Code Block to HTML

Paste Markdown code to generate highlighted HTML instantly. Fenced blocks (```) become <pre><code> elements with a language class, inline backticks become <code>, and a syntax highlighter colours the output.

input.md

Inline code uses single backticks: npm install.

Fenced code blocks use triple backticks and a language label:

function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}`;
}
26 words176 chars✓ HTML 0 B

Key facts

Fenced syntax
Triple backticks ``` plus a language label
Output element
<pre><code class="language-*">
Inline syntax
Single backticks → <code>
Highlighting
Prism wraps tokens in colored <span> elements

How do Markdown code blocks convert to HTML?

A fenced Markdown code block converts to a <pre><code> element pair. The opening fence's language label becomes a class on the <code> tag, such as class="language-js", which a highlighter targets to colour tokens.

Markdown defines 2 code block styles: fenced (triple backticks or tildes) and indented (4 spaces). Both produce <pre><code> output. Fenced blocks additionally carry a language for syntax highlighting. See Markdown Code Blocks for the full syntax.

markdown
```js
const x = 1;
```
html
<pre><code class="language-js">const x = 1;
</code></pre>

What is the difference between inline code and code blocks?

Inline code uses single backticks and converts to a <code> element inside surrounding text. Code blocks use triple backticks or indentation and convert to a block-level <pre><code> pair that preserves whitespace and line breaks.

markdown
Run `npm test` to start.
html
<p>Run <code>npm test</code> to start.</p>

How do you add syntax highlighting to the output?

Syntax highlighting is applied by adding a language label after the opening fence. This converter uses Prism to wrap tokens in coloured <span> elements, so keywords, strings, and comments render in distinct colours.

Specify the language directly after the opening triple backticks, for example ```python or ```bash. Without a language label, the block converts to plain unhighlighted <pre><code>.

How is the converted code block HTML used?

The converted <pre><code> pair is ready to paste into any web page. Characters inside the block are escaped — <, >, and & become &lt;, &gt;, and &amp; — so HTML tags display as literal text instead of rendering.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add syntax highlighting to a Markdown code block?
Add a language label immediately after the opening triple backticks, such as ```js or ```python. The converter emits a class="language-x" attribute and Prism colours the tokens in the HTML output.
What is the difference between inline code and a code block?
Inline code uses single backticks and produces a <code> element within a sentence. A code block uses triple backticks or 4-space indentation and produces a block-level <pre><code> pair that preserves line breaks.
Why is my code block not highlighting?
Highlighting requires a language label after the opening fence and a supported language name. A missing label, an unsupported language, or an unclosed fence produces plain <pre><code> without colour.
Are HTML tags inside code blocks rendered?
No. The converter escapes <, >, and & inside code blocks, so HTML tags written between fences appear as literal text in the output instead of rendering as elements.