Open the web editor
Apps & documentation
Start in a browser, download the desktop app, or write inside VS Code. Use the CLI and MCP server for repeatable document work, and explore the iOS and Android preview. Every option keeps readable Markdown at the center.
The DocBlocks apps
Choose by where you keep your files and how you like to write. The installed web app uses browser storage; the desktop and mobile apps have their own storage and native file access. Workspaces do not automatically sync between them.
For a quick start on any device. Open the editor with no account. Keep work in this browser or open a folder in a supported browser. Choose Install DocBlocks… in the app menu when offered to launch it from your desktop. Offline editing is ready once the app finishes downloading.
For everyday work in your own folders. Download for macOS (Apple silicon), Windows, or Linux, then choose Open a folder. Get native menus and file opening, plus optional AI assistance, dictation, and read aloud where supported.
For iPhone, iPad, and Android. Native apps are in development; store distribution is pending. Preview builds offer an On this device workspace, picked folders, import, export, and system sharing. Use the web app on your phone or tablet today.
For documents beside your code. Install the extension and open a Markdown file. If needed, right-click the file and choose Open in DocBlocks. Keep VS Code’s explorer, tabs, saving, and source control while editing visually.
For terminal and build workflows. Install
@bendyline/docblocks-cli with npm, then run
docblocks --help. Build HTML, preview locally, convert files, and render
video using repeatable commands.
For document work with an agent. Connect the local MCP server included in the CLI. Let your agent convert, inspect, or preview documents, then save the resulting artifacts. File access is limited to roots you explicitly allow.
Quick start
The web and desktop apps share these first steps. In a fresh default workspace, open aboutDocBlocks.md for the built-in tutorial. In VS Code, create or open a Markdown file in the Explorer, then follow the same writing workflow.
Choose New file in the file pane, or New document on
the welcome screen. Name it my-first-document.md. Add a heading and a few
sentences in Write, then switch to Source
to see the same document as Markdown.
Edits save automatically in web and desktop workspaces; check any save or conflict message. Browser storage belongs to this browser profile. Follow the Backup browser docs frequently reminder and use Download all workspaces in the app menu. For native folders, use your usual file backup tools.
Preview your document as a Document, Page, Slideshow, or Video, then open Export and share. Choose a format and save the result. A share link embeds a snapshot of the document in the URL; anyone with the link can read that copy, and later edits do not update it.
Keep your work portable
Installing another DocBlocks app does not move your existing workspaces. Choose a shared folder or make an explicit copy to continue elsewhere.
Export Markdown with its media, or a DBK bundle that keeps documents and media together, then open it in another DocBlocks app. Keep a separate backup before clearing browser data. Installing the web app continues to use its browser profile.
Open the same folder in either app. Your Markdown and relative media links travel together. If two apps edit a document, resolve any external-change conflict before continuing. File sync, when wanted, comes from your own folder or backup service.
Use a picked folder or export and share files through the system controls. On this device storage is private to the app and is removed on uninstall. Opening a Markdown file from another app imports a copy; it does not automatically update the original.
For automated workflows, see the CLI reference and supported import and export formats.
Troubleshooting
DocBlocks keeps failures visible instead of silently treating storage, permissions, or conversion errors as success. Start with the message on screen, then use the matching recovery path below.
Apply the visible DocBlocks update and reload once. The corrected service worker keeps the editor at the site root while product, documentation, privacy, and terms pages use their own routes.
Keep the tab open. Check the storage or conflict banner, free browser space when requested, and choose a conflict branch explicitly. Download all workspaces before clearing site data.
The export dialog remains open with the failure detail. Check unreadable images, destination permission, and available storage, then retry. A failed export never reports success or replaces an existing destination silently.
Open About DocBlocks to find the version and delivery surface. Include that value, your browser or operating system, and the smallest reproducible document when reporting a problem.
The web editor opens immediately, stores documents locally, and requires no account.