Open files

SkimDown can preview a single Markdown file without opening a folder. In single-file mode the sidebar is hidden and only the preview is shown.

Open a file

Use any of these entry points:

File > Open File...
Shift+Cmd+O
drag a .md or .markdown file into an empty SkimDown window
right-click a Markdown file in Finder and choose Open With > SkimDown
command line: pass a file path as the first argument (see below)

If a window already has a folder open and you drop a Markdown file onto it, SkimDown opens the file in a new window.

Behavior in single-file mode

The sidebar is hidden and cannot be toggled.
The window title shows the file name.
Relative image paths and asset links that stay inside the file's parent directory are resolved normally. Links to other Markdown files are not followed — use folder mode for multi-file navigation.
Live reload watches for changes to the file and refreshes the preview automatically.
Dropping a folder onto a single-file window switches it to folder mode.

Command line

sh

# Open a specific file
skimdown /path/to/README.md

When a Markdown file path is given as the first argument, SkimDown opens it in single-file mode instead of restoring the previous session.