# Preview Markdown in VS Code

> How to see your rendered Markdown right inside VS Code — in a tab or side by side, with one shortcut.

## Open the preview

With a .md file open, press Cmd+Shift+V (Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows and Linux). VS Code opens a rendered preview in a new tab.

```text
Preview in a tab    ⌘⇧V    /  Ctrl+Shift+V
Side-by-side        ⌘K V   /  Ctrl+K V
```

## Side-by-side preview

Press Cmd+K then V (Ctrl+K V) to open the preview next to your editor. It scrolls in sync as you type.

## No extension needed

VS Code renders Markdown out of the box. For extras like diagrams or PDF export, add an extension such as Markdown All in One.

:::tip
The preview uses GitHub-flavored Markdown, so it's close to what GitHub shows. For AI, the .md text is what counts — the preview is just for you.
:::