markdown2

library2.5.5pypypi✓ verified 25d ago

Markdown2 is a fast and complete Python implementation of Markdown, designed to closely match the behavior of the original Perl-implemented Markdown.pl. It offers a core Markdown parser and numerous extensions, known as 'extras,' for enhanced functionality like syntax highlighting, tables, and header IDs. The library is actively maintained with periodic releases and currently supports Python 3.9 and newer.

serialization

pip install markdown2

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · MARKDOWN2

markdown2

serializationpythonv2.5.5

Install

3.3s avg

Import

83ms

Disk

31MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v2.5.5 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.910 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.085s · 32.2MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.910 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 3.3s · import 0.082s · 33MB

31MB installed

● package 31MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

markdown

✓ from markdown2 import markdown

The primary function for converting Markdown text to HTML.

Markdown

✓ from markdown2 import Markdown

The class-based interface, useful for configuring a Markdown converter with specific extras or settings.

This quickstart demonstrates basic Markdown conversion using the `markdown()` function and how to enable 'extras' (extensions) for enhanced features like fenced code blocks. It also shows the class-based `Markdown` API for more persistent configuration.

import markdown2 markdown_text = """ # Hello, Markdown2! This is a paragraph with *emphasis* and **strong emphasis**. - List item 1 - List item 2 ```python print('Hello from a code block!') ``` Checkout the [Markdown2 GitHub page](https://github.com/trentm/python-markdown2). """ # Basic conversion html = markdown2.markdown(markdown_text) print("--- Basic Conversion ---") print(html) # Conversion with an extra (e.g., 'fenced-code-blocks' for syntax highlighting) html_with_extras = markdown2.markdown(markdown_text, extras=["fenced-code-blocks", "footnotes"]) print("\n--- Conversion with Extras ---") print(html_with_extras) # Using the class-based API markdowner = markdown2.Markdown(extras=["tables", "header-ids"]) html_from_class = markdowner.convert("| Header 1 | Header 2 |\n|----------|----------|\n| Cell 1 | Cell 2 |\n\n### My Section") print("\n--- Class-based Conversion with Extras ---") print(html_from_class)

markdown2 --version

Debug

Known issues

deprecatedThe 'code-color' extra (for Pygments-based syntax highlighting) is deprecated. Use the 'fenced-code-blocks' extra instead, which offers better and more modern syntax highlighting capabilities.

fix

Replace `extras=['code-color']` with `extras=['fenced-code-blocks']` in your `markdown2.markdown()` call or `Markdown` object initialization. Ensure Pygments is installed for syntax highlighting: `pip install Pygments`.

affects: >=2.3.9

gotchaMarkdown2 directly outputs HTML, including any raw HTML present in the input Markdown. If processing untrusted user-generated content, ensure you sanitize the resulting HTML with a dedicated HTML sanitizer (e.g., 'Bleach') to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.

fix

Always pass the HTML output from `markdown2.markdown()` through an HTML sanitization library like 'Bleach' before rendering it in a web browser, especially when dealing with untrusted input. Example: `import bleach; sanitized_html = bleach.clean(html_output)`.

affects: All versions

gotchaInconsistent or incorrect Markdown syntax can lead to unexpected rendering. Common pitfalls include missing blank lines between paragraphs or block-level elements, lack of space after heading hashes (`#`), or incorrect indentation for lists and code blocks.

fix

Adhere strictly to Markdown syntax guidelines. Ensure blank lines separate block-level elements. Always put a space after `#` for headings. Maintain consistent indentation (usually 2 or 4 spaces) for lists and indented code blocks. Tools like Markdown linters can help catch these issues.

affects: All versions

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'markdown2'

The 'markdown2' library is not installed in the current Python environment or the environment where the script is being executed.

fix

Install the library using pip: `pip install markdown2`

AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'group'

This error occurs within `markdown2`'s internal parsing when it encounters malformed HTML or specific invalid Markdown syntax, leading to a regular expression match returning None instead of a match object.

fix

Ensure that the input Markdown text, especially any embedded HTML, is well-formed. Consider updating to the latest `markdown2` version, as some parsing issues may have been addressed.

Markdown.convert() missing 2 required positional arguments: 'self' and 'text'

The `convert` method is being called directly on the `Markdown` class (`markdown2.Markdown.convert(...)`) instead of on an instance of the `Markdown` class.

fix

Create an instance of the `Markdown` class first, then call the `convert` method on that instance, or use the module-level convenience function `markdown2.markdown()`: `import markdown2; markdowner = markdown2.Markdown(); html = markdowner.convert('*Hello*');` OR `html = markdown2.markdown('*Hello*')`

HTML not rendering well when using markdown2 converted (in Django)

When using `markdown2` to generate HTML within a Django template, Django's default auto-escaping feature escapes the raw HTML output, preventing it from being rendered by the browser.

fix

Mark the `markdown2` output as 'safe' in your Django template to instruct Django not to escape the HTML: `{{ markdown_output|safe }}`

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'inlinepatterns'

This error arises when code designed for the `markdown` (Python-Markdown) library, which exposes an `inlinepatterns` attribute for custom extensions, is used with the `markdown2` library, which uses a different 'extras' system.

fix

If using `markdown2`, leverage its 'extras' system (e.g., `markdown2.markdown(text, extras=['extra_name'])`) or `link_patterns` functionality instead of attempting to manipulate `inlinepatterns`. If `inlinepatterns` functionality is essential, consider using the `markdown` library instead of `markdown2`.

Upgrade

Version history

2.5.5latest on PyPI · released Mar 2, 2026

Audit

Dependencies

PygmentsoptionalOptional for the 'fenced-code-blocks' extra to provide syntax highlighting.

Agent activity

16 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/trentm/python-markdown2 ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/markdown2/ ↗