KiteTroubleshooting
Quick Look shows raw Markdown on Mac. Here's why.
You press spacebar on a .md file and see ## headings, **bold**, and backticks. It's not broken — it's a missing feature.
Why Quick Look doesn't render Markdown
Quick Look works via plugins — each file type needs a registered Quick Look extension to preview correctly. macOS includes extensions for PDFs, images, Office documents, and many others. Markdown is not on that list. Apple has never shipped a Markdown Quick Look extension.
When Quick Look has no plugin for a file type, it falls back to rendering it as plain text — which is why you see raw syntax instead of a formatted document. This is expected behavior, not a bug.
Common questions
Why does Quick Look show raw Markdown syntax instead of formatted text?
macOS Quick Look doesn't have a built-in Markdown renderer. Without a Quick Look extension installed, it falls back to showing .md files as plain text — raw syntax and all. You need a third-party extension to get formatted previews.
How do I get Quick Look to render Markdown on Mac?
Install Kite from the Mac App Store. It includes a Quick Look extension that automatically registers with macOS. After installation, pressing spacebar on any .md file in Finder renders it formatted.
Does Apple's Quick Look support Markdown?
No. As of macOS Sequoia, Apple's built-in Quick Look does not render Markdown. It shows .md files as plain text. You need a Quick Look extension like Kite to get formatted Markdown previews.
The fix: install a Quick Look extension
The only way to get formatted Markdown in Quick Look is to install an extension that provides a Markdown renderer. Several exist — free open-source options like QLMarkdown, and paid apps like Kite that bundle the extension with a full editor.
QLMarkdown (free)
Open source Quick Look plugin. Renders basic Markdown. Requires manual installation via GitHub releases. No editor included.
Kite ($14.99)
Mac App Store install, no manual setup. Includes Quick Look extension plus a full WYSIWYG editor. Six reading themes. One-time purchase.
Fix it in 30 seconds
Download Kite, open it once, and Quick Look starts rendering Markdown automatically. No configuration. Press spacebar on any .md file and you'll see a formatted document.
macOS 14 or later · Mac App Store