# Rendermark

> Professional markdown rendering, export, and publishing via MCP. Use when user asks to "render markdown", "export to PDF", "convert to DOCX", "create a document", "publish a document", "share a link", "make a slide deck", "diff two markdown files", "export to HTML", "create a shareable document", "sync docs from GitHub", or "generate an image of this markdown". Do NOT use for simple markdown editing, code generation, or general writing that doesn't need styled output.

- Skill: `dvcrn/rendermark` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dvcrn/rendermark`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dvcrn/rendermark/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Web & Frontend
- Author: dvcrn (https://skillmd.com/u/dvcrn)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dvcrn/rendermark

---


# RenderMark

Convert markdown into beautiful, shareable documents — PDF, DOCX, HTML, images, and hosted web pages.

## When to use RenderMark

Use these tools when the user needs **styled output** from markdown — not when they're just writing or editing markdown content.

**Use RenderMark when:**
- User wants to export, publish, or share a document
- User needs a visual preview (HTML, PDF, image) of markdown
- User wants to compare two document versions visually
- User asks to sync documentation from GitHub
- User needs batch export of multiple markdown files

**Do NOT use RenderMark when:**
- User is just writing or editing markdown (use normal text editing)
- User wants to run code or generate non-document output
- User needs general file format conversion unrelated to markdown
- Simple markdown preview without styling is sufficient

## Instructions

### Step 1: Choose the right tool for the task

| User wants to... | Tool to use |
|---|---|
| Preview styled markdown | `render_markdown` |
| Export a file (PDF, DOCX, HTML) | `export_markdown` |
| Export multiple files at once | `export_batch` |
| Create a PNG/JPEG image | `render_to_image` |
| Publish to the web with a shareable link | `publish_to_rendermark` |
| Publish as a Google Doc | `publish_to_google_docs` |
| Share with specific people | `share_document` |
| Compare two versions | `render_diff` |
| Check markdown quality | `validate_markdown` |
| Import from GitHub | `sync_from_github` |

### Step 2: Apply themes and options

Four built-in themes are available: `default` (light, clean sans-serif), `dark` (dark background), `serif` (Georgia, academic), `minimal` (stripped-down).

Pass the `theme` parameter to any render/export tool. If the user doesn't specify a theme, use `default`.

Table of contents is included by default. Set `showToc: false` to disable.

### Step 3: Verify output

- For `export_markdown`: Returns a file path. Confirm the file was saved.
- For `publish_to_rendermark`: Returns a URL. Share the link with the user.
- For `render_to_image`: Returns image data. Show or save as needed.

### Step 4: Use markdown features effectively

RenderMark supports GitHub-flavored markdown plus these extensions:
- **Mermaid diagrams**: Fenced code blocks with language `mermaid` render as interactive diagrams
- **KaTeX math**: Inline `$...$` and display `$$...$$` for mathematical notation
- **Syntax highlighting**: All common programming languages
- **Frontmatter**: YAML frontmatter (`title`, `theme`, `template`, `toc`) is parsed and applied automatically
- **Templates**: `report`, `meeting-notes`, `memo`, `letter`, `slides`, `changelog`
- **Task lists**, **footnotes**, **tables** with alignment, and **collapsible sections** (`<details>`)

### Step 5: Apply best practices

- **Always include a title** when publishing or exporting — extract from frontmatter, first `# heading`, or filename
- **Default to `showToc: true`** for documents longer than a few paragraphs
- **Choose themes contextually**: `serif` for formal documents, `dark` for technical docs, `default` for general use
- **For GitHub READMEs**, always pass the `github` context object (`{ owner, repo, branch, path }`) so relative image paths resolve correctly
- **Prefer `publish_to_rendermark` over `export_markdown`** when the user says "share" — a link is usually more convenient than a file
- **Run `validate_markdown` first** on important documents to catch broken links and structural issues before publishing

For full tool parameter details, see `references/tools-reference.md`.

## Available Tools (16)

| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `render_markdown` | Convert markdown to styled HTML with themes, TOC, syntax highlighting |
| `render_to_image` | Render markdown to PNG/JPEG — ideal for chat sharing (Slack, Discord) |
| `render_diff` | Visual redline diff between two markdown versions |
| `export_markdown` | Export to PDF, DOCX, or HTML file on disk |
| `export_batch` | Batch export multiple files (merged or individual zip) |
| `validate_markdown` | Check for broken links, malformed tables, structural issues |
| `publish_to_rendermark` | Publish to rendermark.app with a shareable URL |
| `publish_to_google_docs` | Publish as a Google Doc (requires OAuth setup) |
| `share_live_preview` | Generate a temporary preview link (1h to 7d expiry) |
| `share_document` | Share with specific emails via email-restricted access |
| `read_document` | Fetch document content and metadata by URL, slug, or ID |
| `update_document` | Update content, title, settings, or protection on a published document |
| `list_documents` | List documents with search, filtering, and pagination |
| `delete_document` | Permanently delete a document (requires explicit confirmation) |
| `sync_from_github` | Sync a markdown file from GitHub to RenderMark |
| `setup_api_key` | Authenticate via browser and save API key automatically |

## Examples

### Example 1: Export a README to PDF

User says: "Export my README to PDF with the serif theme"

Actions:
1. Call `export_markdown` with format `pdf`, theme `serif`, and the markdown content
2. Return the file path to the user

Result: PDF file saved locally with serif styling, table of contents, and syntax highlighting.

### Example 2: Publish and share a document

User says: "Publish this document and share it with my team"

Actions:
1. Call `publish_to_rendermark` with the markdown content and a title
2. Call `share_document` with the returned document ID and email addresses
3. Return the shareable URL

Result: Document published at a rendermark.app URL, sharing invites sent.

### Example 3: Compare two versions

User says: "Show me the diff between the old and new version"

Actions:
1. Call `render_diff` with the old and new markdown content
2. Return the visual diff HTML

Result: Side-by-side styled diff highlighting additions, deletions, and changes.

### Example 4: Batch export project docs

User says: "Export all the markdown files in this folder as PDFs"

Actions:
1. Gather all .md files and their contents
2. Call `export_batch` with the files array and format `pdf`
3. Return file paths

Result: All markdown files exported as individual PDFs in the same directory.

### Example 5: Sync and publish a GitHub README

User says: "Sync my project's README from GitHub and publish it"

Actions:
1. Call `sync_from_github` with the owner, repo, and path (`README.md`)
2. Return the published URL to the user

Result: README imported from GitHub, published at rendermark.app with relative images resolved.

### Example 6: Create a meeting notes document

User says: "Turn these notes into a proper meeting notes document and share it with the team"

Actions:
1. Call `render_markdown` with template `meeting-notes` to preview
2. Call `publish_to_rendermark` with the markdown and title
3. Call `share_document` with the document ID and team email addresses
4. Return the shareable URL

Result: Formatted meeting notes published and shared via email.

## Setup

Install via `npx -y @rendermark/mcp-server@latest`. Requires a RenderMark API key from https://rendermark.app/settings/keys.

For detailed setup including PDF export, Google Docs, and troubleshooting, see `references/setup-guide.md`.

## Troubleshooting

### API key errors
Run `setup_api_key` to authenticate via the browser, or manually set the key in `~/.rendermark/config.json`.

### PDF export fails
PDF/image export requires Chrome or a Browserless API key. All other tools work without it.

### Tool not found
Ensure you're running the latest version: `npx -y @rendermark/mcp-server@latest`

## Links

- Website: https://rendermark.app
- npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@rendermark/mcp-server
- GitHub: https://github.com/jmsaavedra/rendermark