How to open and read
Markdown files on a Mac.

What is a .md file?

The .md extension is short for Markdown: ordinary text with a few formatting marks. A line starting with # becomes a heading; asterisks can make text bold; a dash starts a list. The file stays readable as text, but a Markdown app turns those marks into formatting.

You might receive one as a README, a set of meeting notes, a project plan, or a report written with an AI assistant. Files ending in .markdown use the same idea.

# Project notes

A **small update** for Friday.

- Read the draft
- Share your feedback

Just need the text? Use TextEdit.

You don’t need a dedicated Markdown app to read the words. Open TextEdit, choose File → Open…, and select your file. You’ll see the Markdown source, including its formatting marks.

That’s enough for a quick look at a short note. For a longer report, a table, or a document with images, a rendered view is usually easier to follow.

Want the formatting? Open it in Zizeg.

Zizeg is a native Mac Markdown reader and editor. Open the file you already have—there’s no vault to create and no import step.

1. Get Zizeg from the Mac App Store.Opening and reading Markdown documents is free, with no time limit.
2. Open your Markdown file.If Zizeg is your default app for .md files, just double-click the file in Finder. Otherwise, choose File → Open… in Zizeg and select your .md or .markdown file. You can also use Open… in Zizeg’s Start Window.
3. Read in Preview or Split.If Preview or Split is your default viewing mode, your file already opens as a formatted document—there’s nothing else to select. Otherwise, use the toolbar’s view control or choose View → Preview (⌘1). You can set Default view for new tabs under Zizeg → Preferences… → General.

Want to see how it works? Choose Split (⌘3) to place the rendered document beside its source. Click Split again while it’s active to swap the panes: Source on the left and Preview on the right, or the other way around. Each further click swaps them back. Choose Source (⌘2) whenever you want the raw text.

Your file stays a Markdown file.

Reading a document doesn’t require converting it or moving it into a library. Keep it in Downloads, a project folder, or wherever it belongs. Zizeg works with the ordinary file on your Mac.

If the document came with an image folder, keep that folder beside it. Markdown often links to separate images, so moving only the .md file can leave pictures behind.