A one-column Markdown table generator
Markdown tables need a header row, an alignment divider, and one row per value. This tool emits all three: `| Header |` on line one, a `|:---|`, `|:---:|`, or `|---:|` divider on line two (left, center, right alignment respectively), then `| value |` on each subsequent line. Every non-blank input line becomes one row.
Only one column is supported by design. If you need multiple columns, the right tool is Convert list to CSV with a tab or pipe separator, or Export to Excel with the Columns option. Keeping this tool single-column means the output is always a valid table no matter what you paste.
There is no escaping. Pipe characters (`|`) inside a cell will confuse most Markdown renderers by splitting the cell boundary; likewise, line breaks inside a cell are not HTML-ified. If your items contain pipes, pre-process with the replace tool (pipe → `\|`) before converting, or switch to the CSV export instead.
How to use convert a list to a markdown table
- 1Paste your list into the input panel, one value per line
- 2Set Header to the column label you want (default `Item`)
- 3Pick Align - left, center, or right - to control how cells display in a renderer
- 4Output updates live; blank input lines are dropped
- 5Copy the Markdown or download it as a .md file from the output panel
Keyboard shortcuts
Drive ListShift without touching the mouse.
What this generator actually does
Two options; everything else is fixed.
Single-column table by design
The output is always a one-column table - header, divider, then one row per value. For multi-column tables, use CSV or Excel export; single-column keeps the syntax unambiguous and guarantees the result always parses in a Markdown renderer.
Alignment via the divider row
Markdown encodes alignment in the divider line (row 2). Left is `:---`, center is `:---:`, right is `---:`. The tool emits the divider matching your Align selection. Most Markdown renderers (GitHub, CommonMark, Pandoc) honor all three.
Custom header text
Type any text in the Header field; the tool uses it verbatim as the column label. Default is `Item`. Headers are not escaped, so avoid pipe characters (`|`) in the header text.
Blank lines dropped
Empty and whitespace-only input lines do not produce empty `| |` rows. They are filtered out before the table is built.
No cell escaping - watch for pipes
Cell content is emitted verbatim between pipe characters. If a cell contains a `|`, most Markdown renderers will interpret it as a column boundary and the table will look broken. Clean up pipes in your source first (or use CSV export if pipes matter).
Worked example
Default Left alignment - the divider row uses `:---`.
Apples Oranges Cherries
| Item | | :--- | | Apples | | Oranges | | Cherries |
Settings reference
How each option changes the output using the sample above.
| Setting | What it does | Effect on the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Header: Item (default) | Column label on row 1 | `| Item |` at the top |
| Header: Fruit | Custom column label | `| Fruit |` at the top |
| Align: left | Divider uses `:---` - cells render left-aligned | Row 2 is `| :--- |` |
| Align: center | Divider uses `:---:` - cells render centered | Row 2 is `| :---: |` |
| Align: right | Divider uses `---:` - cells render right-aligned | Row 2 is `| ---: |` |