Writerside Markdown: Complete Guide
Writerside is a JetBrains IDE plugin and standalone tool for creating technical documentation. It supports markdown and XML as authoring formats, provides live preview, and includes features like link validation, content reuse, and API documentation generation.
Markdown support:Full
Markdown Support in Writerside
| Format | Syntax | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **text** | Yes |
| Italic | *text* | Yes |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | Yes |
| Headings | # H1 ... ###### H6 | Yes |
| Links | [text](url) | Yes |
| Images |  | Yes |
| Blockquotes | > quote | Yes |
| Ordered Lists | 1. item | Yes |
| Unordered Lists | - item | Yes |
| Code (inline) | `code` | Yes |
| Code Blocks | ```lang\ncode\n``` | Yes |
| Tables | | col | col | | Yes |
| Task Lists | - [ ] task | Yes Rendered as interactive checkboxes in preview |
| Footnotes | [^1] | No Not supported in Writerside markdown |
| Horizontal Rule | --- | Yes |
Things to know
- Can mix markdown and XML semantic markup in the same project.
- Includes built-in live preview and link validation.
- Supports content reuse with includes and variables.
- Generates API documentation from OpenAPI specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Writerside support markdown?
Yes. Writerside supports markdown as one of its authoring formats alongside XML. It handles headings, bold, italic, links, images, code blocks, tables, and task lists with live preview.
How do you bold text in Writerside?
Use standard markdown syntax: **bold text**. Writerside renders the formatting in its built-in live preview pane.
Is Writerside free?
Writerside is available as a free plugin for JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, etc.) and as a standalone early-access tool. It is currently offered at no cost.
What is the difference between Writerside markdown and XML?
Markdown in Writerside is simpler and faster to write. XML semantic markup offers more control over structure and allows richer content types. You can use both in the same project.