Markdown Writer

Converter

Markdown to BBCode, instantly.

Paste markdown on the left, copy forum-ready BBCode on the right. Emits the phpBB-style tags every modern board understands — [b], [url], [list], [quote], [code]. Runs entirely in your browser.

  • No signup
  • No upload
  • phpBB compatible
  • Live output

Need plain HTML instead? Markdown to HTML →

Live converter·
markdown606 chars
bbcode708 chars
[h1]Field Notes — Spring 2026[/h1]

A short post for the forum. Markdown is [b]portable[/b], [i]readable[/i], and renders the same everywhere — but the forum only speaks BBCode.

[h2]What this converter handles[/h2]

[list]
[*]Headings, emphasis, and links

[*]Ordered and unordered lists

[*]Blockquotes and code blocks

[*]Inline [code]code[/code] and images
[/list]

[quote]Tip: paste your own markdown on the left. The BBCode appears on the right as you type.[/quote]

[h3]A small list[/h3]

[list=1]
[*]Paste source

[*]Copy output

[*]Post it
[/list]

[code]const greet = (name: string) => `Hello, ${name}!`;
[/code]

Check out [url=https://markdownwriter.com]Markdown Writer[/url] for the full editor.

Why this converter

Markdown in, forum-ready BBCode out.

Forums still run the internet's longest-running conversations. phpBB, vBulletin, MyBB, XenForo, and dozens of game-community boards all speak BBCode — not markdown. This converter parses your markdown with the same engine our editor uses, then walks the resulting HTML and emits clean BBCode you can paste straight into a forum reply.

  • Local-first conversion

    Your markdown is parsed and converted in the browser. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or analyzed.

  • phpBB-compatible tags

    Emits the widely supported baseline: [b], [i], [u], [s], [url], [img], [h1]–[h3], [quote], [code], [list].

  • GFM aware

    Markdown parsing handles GFM extensions before emission, so task lists, strikethrough, and fenced code all carry across.

  • Instant output

    No Convert button. The BBCode refreshes as you type, so you can iterate on the wording without a single click.

How it works

Three steps, no friction.

  1. 01

    Paste your markdown

    Drop in CommonMark or GFM. The sample shows what's handled. Clear it and use your own draft.

  2. 02

    Watch BBCode appear

    Every heading, emphasis, link, list, blockquote, and code block becomes a bracketed BBCode tag the forum understands.

  3. 03

    Copy and post

    Copy the BBCode straight to your clipboard, or download a .txt file. Paste it into the forum reply box and submit.

FAQ

Common questions

What is BBCode and where is it used?
BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is a lightweight markup language used by forum software like phpBB, vBulletin, MyBB, XenForo, and many game-community boards. Tags are wrapped in square brackets — [b]bold[/b], [url=https://example.com]link[/url] — and the forum server renders them to HTML on display.
What does this Markdown to BBCode converter do?
It parses your markdown the same way the editor does, then walks the resulting HTML and emits BBCode equivalents. Headings become [h1]–[h3], emphasis becomes [b]/[i], links become [url], lists become [list] blocks with [*] items, blockquotes become [quote], and code becomes [code]. The output is plain text you can paste straight into a forum reply.
Which BBCode tags does it emit?
The converter emits the most widely supported phpBB-style tags: [b], [i], [u], [s], [url], [img], [h1], [h2], [h3], [quote], [code], and [list] / [list=1] with [*] items. Forum-specific extensions like [color], [size], or [spoiler] are not generated because they vary between platforms.
Is my markdown uploaded anywhere?
No. Both the markdown parsing and the BBCode emission happen entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or stored on a server. If you'd rather keep editing your markdown side by side with the rendered preview, open the editor — it is local-first too.
How are tables handled?
BBCode has no portable table tag — every forum implements it differently or not at all. This converter flattens markdown tables to a sequence of lines so the content survives, but the visual grid does not. If you need a real table, copy the HTML output from /markdown-to-html instead.
Can I convert BBCode back to markdown?
Not in this tool — BBCode to Markdown is a separate reverse direction. If you have HTML from a forum and want markdown, paste it into the HTML to Markdown converter; the output is portable GitHub Flavored Markdown.
What about images and code blocks?
Images become [img]URL[/img]. Fenced code blocks become [code]…[/code]. Inline code becomes [code]…[/code] as well — most forums render both the same way, with monospace text on a tinted background.
Will the output work on my forum?
The emitted tags are the phpBB-style baseline supported by virtually every modern forum. If your forum uses a custom dialect (for example, [URL] vs [url], or requires [list=a] for letter lists), you may need to tweak the output — but the structure will be correct.

Writing more than a forum post? Use the editor.

Markdown Writer is the same parser, with synced scrolling, an outline, PDF export, and local autosave.

Open the editor

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