Text to HTML Converter
Convert plain text to clean semantic HTML — paragraphs, line breaks, headings, lists and auto-linked URLs, with a live preview and download.
About the Text to HTML Converter
Paste plain text and get clean, semantic HTML: blank-line-separated blocks become proper <p> paragraphs, single newlines can become <br> tags, lines starting with - or * turn into <ul> lists, lines starting with # become headings, and bare URLs are wrapped in clickable <a> links. Special characters like & and < are escaped correctly so the markup is always valid.
This is the fast path from a writing app, email or notes export into a CMS, newsletter tool or hand-coded page — no fiddling with regex or typing tags by hand. Each transformation is a toggle, so you control exactly how literal or smart the conversion is, and a live preview shows how the generated markup renders before you commit.
Copy the HTML with one click or download it as an .html file. The conversion happens entirely in your browser as you type, so drafts and private content never leave your device.
How to Use the Text to HTML Converter
- 1Paste your plain text — separate paragraphs with blank lines.
- 2Toggle the options: line breaks, auto-links, # headings and - lists.
- 3Check the generated markup and the live preview underneath.
- 4Copy the HTML or download it as an .html file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are paragraphs and line breaks decided?
A blank line starts a new <p> paragraph — the universal plain-text convention. Single newlines within a paragraph become <br> tags when the option is on, or are joined into flowing text when it's off. Turn breaks off for prose reflow, on for addresses, poetry and lyrics.
Are special characters like & and < handled safely?
Yes — every &, <, > and " in your text is escaped to its HTML entity before any tags are generated, so text that mentions HTML (or contains stray angle brackets) can't break the page or inject markup. The output is safe to drop into any template.
How do headings and lists work?
A line starting with # becomes an <h2> (## gives <h3>, ### gives <h4> — h1 is left for your page title), and a group of lines each starting with - or * becomes a <ul> with <li> items. Both behaviors are toggles, so text that legitimately starts with those characters can be converted literally instead.
Does it link URLs automatically?
With auto-link enabled, anything starting with http:// or https:// is wrapped in an <a> tag pointing at itself. Bare domains without a protocol are left as text to avoid false positives — add the protocol if you want them linked.
Can I convert the other direction — HTML back to text?
Yes, use the companion HTML to Text Converter, which parses markup with a real HTML parser and reconstructs readable plain text with paragraphs and list bullets. Together the two tools round-trip content between writing apps and web pages.