md-viewer-py 1.3.0

Drop-in single-file Markdown viewer for any folder

md-viewer-py

Drop-in Markdown viewer for any folder

A local HTTP server that renders Markdown files in the browser with navigation, search, and editing. Install and run:

pip install md-viewer-py
mdview

Why mdview?

Point it at any folder and instantly browse your docs - no config files, no build step, no Node.js. It comes with sidebar navigation, global search, table of contents, dark mode, Mermaid diagrams, syntax highlighting, and an in-browser editor with live preview, all powered by Python's stdlib HTTP server and a single dependency (watchdog).

mdview vs. the alternatives

	mdview	MkDocs / Docusaurus	VS Code Preview	grip
Setup	pip install	Config + build + Node.js	Already installed	pip install
Multi-file navigation	Yes	Yes	No	No
Cross-file search	Yes	Yes	No	No
Live reload	Yes	Yes (with plugin)	Yes	No
In-browser editing	Yes	No	Yes	No
Config required	None	Yes	No	API token
Works offline	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Install

pip install md-viewer-py

Or with uv / pipx:

uv tool install md-viewer-py
pipx install md-viewer-py

Then run from any directory:

mdview                        # serve current directory on port 8080
mdview --port 3000            # custom port
mdview /path/to/docs          # custom directory
mdview /path/to/docs -p 3000  # both
mdview --help                 # show all options

All Features

• Dashboard: grid view of folders and files, macOS Finder-style
• Dark & light themes: auto-detects OS preference, manual toggle
• File tree sidebar: collapsible directories with file name filter
• Global search: search across all files from header with dropdown results
• In-file search: Cmd/Ctrl+F to find and highlight matches
• Table of contents: right panel with scroll spy and collapsible groups
• In-browser editing: edit mode with live preview, save to disk
• Live reload: instant updates when files change on disk
• Syntax highlighting: for code blocks in all major languages
• Mermaid diagrams: rendered inline with error feedback
• Keyboard shortcuts: full shortcut set with ? modal
• Print-friendly: clean stylesheet with proper page breaks
• Proper CLI: --help, --port, --host, --no-browser
• Minimal dependencies: only watchdog, pip-installable

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
⌘/Ctrl+F	Find in current file
⌘/Ctrl+Shift+F	Search across all files
Shift Shift	Filter files by name
/	Focus search (legacy)
?	Show keyboard shortcuts
← ↑	Previous file
→ ↓	Next file
Escape	Close search / modal

Examples

• Mermaid Diagrams: flowcharts, sequence diagrams, gantt charts, and more

How It Works

md-viewer-py is a pip-installable HTTP server built on Python's http.server. It scans the directory for .md files, serves a single-page UI with dark and light themes, and renders Markdown client-side using marked.js from a CDN. No build step, no config files. Just install and run.

Built in public

Follow the development journey:

• How I Split 2,800 Lines Into 29 Files With Zero Regressions
• From Viewer to Workspace: Rebuilding md-viewer-py in 9 Days
• My Side Project Got Its First Security Vulnerability
• I Built a Zero-Dependency Markdown Viewer in Python

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines and the improvements & ideas list for open tasks.

Feel free to open an issue to discuss ideas before starting work.

License

MIT

Install it, use it, uninstall anytime with pip uninstall md-viewer-py.