Markdown Anchor Generator

Markdown Anchor Generator

Generate anchor IDs for all headings in Markdown documents. Supports GitHub, GitLab, and custom slug conventions with duplicate handling and configurable prefixes.

markdown
anchor
slug
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Quick Presets
Markdown samples for anchor generation
Input & Settings
Paste markdown to generate anchor links for all headings
How it works: Generates anchor IDs for each heading following GitHub, GitLab, or custom slug conventions. Handles duplicate headings by appending numeric suffixes. Use the generated anchors in your table of contents or cross-references.

What is Markdown Anchor Generator?

The Markdown Anchor Generator parses Markdown headings and creates anchor links for each one. It converts heading text to URL-safe slugs (lowercase, hyphens, no special characters) and generates the corresponding anchor link syntax. This is useful for creating table of contents or cross-references within a Markdown document. All processing happens in the browser.

How does Markdown Anchor Generator work?

This tool scans Markdown text for heading lines (lines starting with #), extracts the heading text, converts it to a slug by lowercasing and replacing spaces and special characters with hyphens, and outputs anchor link pairs [text](#slug).

Key Features

  • Extracts all headings from Markdown
  • Generates URL-safe anchor slugs
  • Creates [text](#slug) link syntax
  • Handles nested heading levels
  • Copy anchors to clipboard
  • Download as text file
  • Mirrors GitHub-style slug rules with lowercase and hyphenated output
  • Real-time generation

Common Use Cases

When and why you might need this tool
  • Creating a table of contents

    Generate anchor links from all headings for a clickable table of contents at the top of a document.

  • Cross-referencing sections

    Create anchor links to specific sections within a long Markdown document.

  • Building documentation navigation

    Generate navigation links for a documentation site built from Markdown files.

  • Migrating content to a CMS

    Extract heading anchors for use in a content management system that supports anchor links.

How to Use This Tool

Step-by-step guide to get the best results
1

Paste Markdown

Enter Markdown text containing headings.

2

Generate anchors

Click Generate. The tool extracts headings and creates anchor links.

3

Copy the anchors

Copy individual anchors or the full table of contents.

Pro Tips

  • 1

    Anchor slugs are lowercase with hyphens replacing spaces.

  • 2

    GitHub and most Markdown processors use the same slug format.

  • 3

    Duplicate headings produce duplicate slugs. Some processors append -1, -2.

  • 4

    Use anchors in a table of contents for long documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an anchor link?

Markdown anchor generator creates anchor links that jump to specific sections within the same page, using the format [text](#slug).

How are slugs generated?

Heading text is lowercased, special characters are removed, and spaces are replaced with hyphens. For example, 'Getting Started' becomes 'getting-started'.

Is my content sent to a server?

No. All processing happens in your browser. Nothing is transmitted.

Does it work with GitHub Markdown?

Yes. The slug format matches GitHub's anchor generation algorithm.

Can I use anchors across documents?

Anchors work within a single page. For cross-document links, use the full URL with the anchor appended.