Texthtml

Texthtml is a lightweight text-to-HTML markup concept used to author web content with plain text editors. It defines a compact set of conventions that map common plain-text structures to HTML elements, enabling written content to be rendered as web pages without a full HTML authoring environment. It is not a formal standard and exists in several independent implementations with small variations.

Core concepts and syntax

Texthtml relies on line-based blocks to represent document structure. A line that begins with a single hash can denote a top-level heading, while lines starting with a dash or other list marker indicate list items. Blank lines separate paragraphs, and blocks may be extended with small inline conventions for links or emphasis in some implementations. Hyperlinks are typically written in a plain-text form that is converted to anchor tags during rendering, using a syntax such as [text](url). Code blocks and other HTML-equivalent structures may be indicated by indentation or optional fenced blocks in certain parsers.

Example

Input:

# Sample

This is a paragraph with a link to [OpenAI](https://openai.com) and a list:

- Item one

- Item two

Rendered output:

<h1>Sample</h1>

<p>This is a paragraph with a link to <a href="https://openai.com">OpenAI</a> and a list:</p>

<ul><li>Item one</li><li>Item two</li></ul>

Usage and reusability

Texthtml is used in lightweight content workflows and static-site pipelines where editors favor plain text over HTML. Variants emphasize human readability, while other implementations aim for exact HTML output. It coexists with established markup systems such as Markdown, reStructuredText, and AsciiDoc, offering a separate option for simple, text-first authoring.