Write papers, theses, and books in Markdown, with a typeset preview and citations from your mdbase Reader library. Export a PDF or Word document while keeping the manuscript as ordinary Markdown in your mdbase collection.
Open writer · Try the demo · Report a problem
Writer is prerelease software. Keep backups of important work and check the save status before closing or reloading. The demo uses sample data in a separate, in-memory collection; it is not connected to your library and is not a place to keep writing.
Write, cite and typeset a paper. Citations complete from your Reader library, the typeset preview updates as you type, problems show on the line that caused them, and quotations come in from Reader highlights.
writer-paper.mp4
Build a book from chapter records. A thesis-layout book whose chapters are separate records: write in one, reorder them, and add another.
writer-book.mp4
These recordings use sample data, not a real collection.
- Write in Markdown and see the typeset result as you type.
- Find and cite sources by author, title, year, or citekey, and insert quotations from Reader highlights.
- Build a longer manuscript from separate chapter records.
- Add headings, figures, footnotes, labels, and cross-references.
- Leave comments and suggested edits alongside the text.
- Choose an article or thesis layout and a citation style.
- Export PDF, Word (DOCX), or a Pandoc/Quarto bundle for use outside Writer. Exports check embedded chapters and images first and tell you before downloading anything incomplete.
- Keep writing when the preview fails. Unsaved text is backed up in your browser and offered back after reopening, and conflicting edits can be compared side by side and merged.
- Open writer and choose Connect a collection.
- Sign in through mdbase Connect, choose a collection, and review the access Writer requests. Choose the collection containing your Reader library if you want to cite its sources.
- If prompted, review the proposed setup and choose Set up collection. Writer adds the manuscript and source types it needs; setup is not applied without your approval.
- Choose New manuscript, enter a title, and select a layout and citation style.
- Start writing in the editor. The preview updates alongside your text. Use Settings to change the title, authors, abstract, date, language, layout, or citation style.
You can also choose Use a note you already have… when creating a manuscript. Use as manuscript adds the manuscript type to that note while retaining its other types, text, and location.
Collections can be hosted through Connect or registered from your computer. For a computer-backed collection, keep the Connect desktop app running and the computer available.
Writer uses familiar Markdown plus Pandoc citation and Quarto cross-reference syntax. You do not need to write Typst or LaTeX to use the bundled layouts.
# Introduction {#sec-introduction}
A claim supported by a source [@smith2024, p. 12].
See @sec-introduction and @fig-results.
{#fig-results}
A sentence with a footnote.[^note]
[^note]: A longer explanation.Replace smith2024 with a citekey from your library and the image path with a file in your collection.
The editor reads like the manuscript: a citation shows who it cites, a cross-reference what it points to, footnote markers their numbers, and figures, tables, equations and code draw as blocks. The Markdown is unchanged; the line the cursor is on always shows it as written. Turn this off under Editor at the end of Settings to see the Markdown everywhere.
Type / in the text, or use Insert in the top bar (or the command palette, Ctrl/⌘+K),
to add a Footnote (also Ctrl/⌘+Alt+F), a Figure from an image, a Table, an
Equation, a Cross-reference or a Citation; each shows the Markdown it stands for. A figure's image is stored in the
collection (in a figures folder beside the manuscript's other images) and written with a
label to refer to; its caption is selected to type. Pasting or dropping an image into the text
does the same.
Open Sources to search your Reader library and insert a citation, optionally with a page
number. Sources already cited in the manuscript appear first, the rest most recently written
first. A search of three letters or more also looks through the text of your Reader highlights.
An expanded source lists the sections that cite it. You can also type @ or [@ to see
completion suggestions by citekey, author, title, or year.
Each source needs citation metadata and a citekey. Manage those in mdbase Reader in the same collection. Reader highlights can be inserted as quotations with their source citation and page information when available.
Hover over a citation to see its bibliography entry. Choose the manuscript's citation style in
Settings; bundled styles are available, or you can choose a .csl file stored in the collection.
To include another Markdown record, put its embed on a line of its own:
![[chapters/introduction]]
![[chapters/results]]Writer assembles these records in order. Citations, footnotes, and cross-references work across the manuscript. Chapter records do not need a special manuscript type.
Use Outline to open or add chapters. Drag chapters, or use Alt+↑/↓, to reorder them; double-click one (or press F2) to rename it. A chapter's headings fold away unless it is the one being written. Sections with open comments or problems show a small count or dot beside their word count. Chapter cards in the editor show their title, word count, and problems, with a button to open them.
Select a passage and press Ctrl/⌘+Alt+M to comment on it, or Ctrl/⌘+Alt+S to suggest an edit: the comment is written beside the passage. Commented lines are marked in the editor's margin, hovering a passage shows who said what, and F7 steps to the next comment. The Comments panel lists every thread, with what others wrote since you last opened the manuscript marked as new, and can be filtered to one person's comments or your own.
The sidebar's tabs can be opened side by side: the split button beside them shows a second panel beneath, so the outline and comments can be read together. Hiding the sidebar leaves a rail of its tabs.
Click a block in the preview to jump to the corresponding text. The preview also follows the editor's cursor. Problems in the top bar lists unknown citekeys, missing labels, unavailable images or records, and typesetting errors under the editor, each with its record and line; the list stays open while you fix them, and F8 moves to the next problem.
The home screen offers the manuscript you opened last, with an optional word goal kept in this browser, and lists any text typed but not yet saved to the collection.
The sidebar, editor/preview split, and zoom are remembered in your browser. On a phone, switch between writing, preview, and outline views.
Useful shortcuts (⌘ on macOS, Ctrl elsewhere):
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl/⌘+K | Open the command palette |
| Ctrl/⌘+Shift+E | Find a source |
| Ctrl/⌘+Shift+M | Show comments |
| F7 | Go to the next comment |
| Ctrl/⌘+, | Open manuscript settings |
| Ctrl/⌘+Shift+S | Choose an export format |
| F8 | Go to the next problem |
Use the menu beside Export to choose a format. The main button repeats the format you used last in this browser.
- PDF: the typeset document, using the selected layout.
- Word (DOCX): an editable document with formatted citations and resolved cross-references. Word uses its own document styles, not the exact PDF layout. A custom Typst layout affects PDF only; Word uses article styles for those layouts.
- Pandoc bundle (ZIP): a materialised Markdown manuscript, references, citation style, and supporting files for building with Pandoc or Quarto outside Writer.
Exports are generated in your browser. The first Word export downloads about 16 MB of additional software, so it may take longer. Review export warnings and check the downloaded document before sharing or submitting it; missing inputs can result in incomplete output.
Manuscripts and chapters remain Markdown records in your collection. Settings are stored in the manuscript's frontmatter, and citations refer to your Reader sources. Writer does not delete or rename records.
Edits autosave through Connect. If a record changes elsewhere while you are editing, Writer shows a conflict: Keep mine retains your version, while Use theirs adopts the other version. Check both versions before choosing. If a save fails, the editor keeps the current text and retries saving when you type; do not assume it has reached the collection until the save status confirms it.
If a collection will not open, check its Connect access and, for a computer-backed collection, that its desktop app is online. Use Reconnect or choose another collection when prompted. Open an issue for bugs or feature requests. Include your browser, the steps to reproduce the problem, and any displayed error; remove private manuscript text, collection paths, and credentials. Report suspected vulnerabilities privately as described in the security policy.
For local setup, tests, deployment, and implementation details, see the development guide and architecture notes.
mdbase writer is available under the MIT License. Bundled fonts, Typst packages, and citation styles keep their own licenses; see third-party notices.