10 Best VS Code Extensions for Markdown and Technical Writing

VS Code is a popular editor for Markdown and technical writing. These 10 extensions add keyboard shortcuts, previews, linting, diagram support, and slide generation. Every extension listed has a verified or well-known publisher as of mid-2026.

If you are new to VS Code extensions, start with the guide on how to install, disable, and update extensions.

Editing and productivity

1. Markdown All in One

Publisher: yzhang.markdown-all-in-one
Why: The essential Markdown editing extension. It adds keyboard shortcuts for bold (Ctrl+B / Cmd+B), italic (Ctrl+I / Cmd+I), and strikethrough. It auto-generates and updates a table of contents when you type [TOC]. It completes list items, formats tables, and creates links with a single shortcut.

If you install one Markdown extension, this is it.

2. markdownlint

Publisher: DavidAnson.vscode-markdownlint
Why: Enforces consistent Markdown formatting. It catches inconsistent heading styles, missing blank lines around lists, trailing whitespace, bare URLs, and duplicate headings. Rules are configurable. If you write documentation, README files, or blog posts in Markdown, this keeps your files clean.

3. Markdown Preview Enhanced

Publisher: shd101wyy.markdown-preview-enhanced
Why: A richer Markdown preview than VS Code's built-in one. It supports Mermaid diagrams, PlantUML, LaTeX math, and code execution in fenced code blocks. Export to PDF, HTML, PNG, or JPEG. Supports custom CSS for the preview.

The built-in preview (Ctrl+Shift+V / Cmd+Shift+V) is fast and simple. Use Preview Enhanced when you need diagrams, math, or exports.

4. Markdown Preview Mermaid Support

Publisher: bierner.markdown-mermaid
Why: Adds Mermaid diagram rendering to VS Code's built-in Markdown preview.

Write Mermaid code blocks and see flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and Gantt charts in the preview. Lightweight alternative to Markdown Preview Enhanced if you only need Mermaid support.

5. Markdown PDF

Publisher: yzane.markdown-pdf
Why: Converts Markdown files to PDF, HTML, PNG, or JPEG. Right-click a Markdown file and choose Markdown PDF: Export (pdf). Supports custom CSS for styling the output. Good for generating documentation PDFs, resumes, and reports from Markdown.

Images and media

6. Paste Image

Publisher: mushan.vscode-paste-image
Why: Paste an image from your clipboard directly into your Markdown file. The image saves to a configurable folder and the Markdown link is inserted automatically. No need to save screenshots manually, name them, and write the image syntax by hand.

This extension has had no updates in over two years. If clipboard paste stops working after a VS Code update, try Markdown Image Paste below instead.

7. Markdown Image Paste

Publisher: telesoho.vscode-markdown-paste-image
Why: Similar to Paste Image, but with additional configuration options for the image path and filename pattern. Supports pasting images from clipboard or dragging and dropping image files. Good alternative if you need more control over where images are stored.

Presentations and writing

8. Marp for VS Code

Publisher: marp-team.marp-vscode
Why: Turn Markdown files into presentation slides. Separate slides with ---. Preview the slide deck in a side panel. Export to HTML, PDF, or PowerPoint.

You define the theme, colors, and layout in the Markdown frontmatter. No separate slide design tool needed.

Useful for technical presentations, lightning talks, and team demos where you want slides that live alongside your code.

9. Code Spell Checker

Publisher: streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker
Why: Catches typos in your Markdown documents, including technical terms and code snippets. Essential for technical writing where spell checkers in word processors often flag code as errors.

10. Markdown Footnotes

Publisher: bierner.markdown-footnotes
Why: Adds footnote support to VS Code's built-in Markdown preview. Write [^1] references and [^1]: definitions. Footnotes render at the bottom of the preview. Part of a family of small Markdown extensions by Matt Bierner that also includes Markdown Emoji, Markdown Checkboxes, and GitHub Markdown Preview.

Quick selection guide

Each extension is free and can be installed from the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X).

If you also write code samples inside your Markdown files, pair these with the list of 12 linting and formatting extensions to keep those snippets clean too.