Quick Look in Finder
Space bar opens the system Quick Look panel with rendered HTML. Works in ForkLift, Path Finder, and other managers that delegate to Quick Look.
Space
Finder preview shortcut
GFM
Tables, tasks, strikethrough
13+
macOS Ventura or later
Free
Mac App Store
How it works
Three steps, then Space just works.
One-time setup in System Settings. After that, Quick Look behaves like users expect from Marked or Anybox — but focused on Markdown preview.
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1
Install and launch once
Download from the Mac App Store (or a signed zip when available) and open MD Quick Preview so macOS registers the embedded Quick Look extension.
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2
Enable the extension
System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Quick Look Extensions → turn on MD Quick Preview. The host app shows a green status badge when active.
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3
Press Space in Finder
Select any supported Markdown file and press Space. You can also use Open With → MD Quick Preview or `open -a MDQuickPV file.md` for a preview window.
Features
Built for Finder-first Markdown preview.
v0.1 ships Quick Look and host-app preview — more theming and syntax highlighting in v0.2.
GitHub Flavored Markdown
cmark-gfm powers tables, strikethrough, and task lists. Automatic light/dark GitHub-inspired styling follows your system appearance.
Open With preview windows
Right-click → Open With → MD Quick Preview, or File → Open… in the host app. Same HTML pipeline as Quick Look, with a toolbar and navigation subtitle.
Spotlight searchable text
Preview HTML is exposed to Spotlight via QLSupportsSearchableItems so file search can match rendered content.
Extension status UI
The host app shows whether the Quick Look extension is registered and enabled, with a Refresh button after toggling System Settings.
Sandboxed for Mac App Store
App Sandbox with user-selected read-only files. Rendering stays on-device — your Markdown never leaves your Mac.
Setup
Enable Quick Look Extensions once.
Apple requires explicit opt-in for Quick Look extensions. If you see duplicate entries in System Settings, remove stale registrations and reinstall a single copy.
- Install MD Quick Preview to /Applications (App Store or signed zip).
- Launch the app once — do not skip this step.
- Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Quick Look Extensions.
- Enable MD Quick Preview and quit/reopen System Settings if the toggle does not stick.
- Press Space on a .md file — look for the footer: Rendered by MD Quick Preview · v0.1.0.
FAQ
MD Quick Preview — common questions.
Installation, Quick Look precedence, file types, and distribution.
What is MD Quick Preview?
MD Quick Preview is a macOS Quick Look extension that renders Markdown in Finder. Press Space on a .md file to see styled HTML instead of raw text.
Which file types are supported?
`.md`, `.markdown`, `.mdown`, `.mkd`, and `.mdx`. GitHub Flavored Markdown features — tables, strikethrough, and task lists — are included.
How do I enable the Quick Look extension?
Install the app, launch it once, then open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Quick Look Extensions and enable MD Quick Preview.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Rendering uses cmark-gfm on your Mac. Your file contents are not uploaded to the cloud.
Mac App Store or direct download?
MD Quick Preview is submitted to the Mac App Store. A Developer ID–signed zip may also be offered here for installation outside the store.
What macOS version do I need?
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.
Ready to preview Markdown in Finder?
Read the setup guide for troubleshooting duplicate extensions, or download when a signed build is published alongside the Mac App Store release.