Skip to main content

​
Welcome to Opal Editor

Opal Editor is a local-first markdown editor and static site publisher built for complete self-custody. Write, publish, and version your content without depending on external servers or cloud services.

Quickstart

Get started in minutes - create your first workspace and start writing

Features

Explore WYSIWYG editing, Git integration, and one-click publishing

Publishing

Deploy to Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, GitHub Pages, or S3

Git Integration

Full Git support with GitHub authentication and collaboration

​
What is Opal Editor?

Opal Editor is a modern markdown editor that runs entirely in your browser with zero backend dependencies. All your data is stored locally using browser storage technologies, giving you complete control and ownership of your content.
No server required: Opal uses service workers to provide a complete editing and publishing experience without any backend infrastructure.

​
Built for Writers and Developers

Whether you’re writing documentation, building a blog, or creating a static site, Opal provides the tools you need:
  • WYSIWYG editing powered by MDX-Editor for a rich editing experience
  • Raw markdown editing with CodeMirror for precision control
  • Live preview to see your content rendered in real-time
  • Template-based site generation with support for Mustache, EJS, Nunjucks, and Liquid
  • One-click publishing to popular hosting platforms

​
Key Capabilities

​
Local-First Storage

Opal stores all your content locally using browser storage technologies:
  • IndexedDB (recommended) - Reliable, performant browser database
  • OPFS (Origin Private File System) - Modern browser file system API
  • OPFS Directory Mount - Mount to a local directory with file system access
Your data never leaves your device unless you explicitly publish or sync it.

​
WYSIWYG & Raw Markdown Editing

Switch seamlessly between rich text and source editing modes:
  • Rich text mode provides a visual editing experience with formatting toolbar
  • Source mode gives you direct access to markdown with syntax highlighting
  • Toggle between modes with Cmd/Ctrl + ;
Use Cmd/Ctrl + E to quickly focus the editor from anywhere in the app.

​
Full Git Integration

Opal includes complete Git functionality built into the editor:
  • Initialize repositories and commit changes
  • Create and switch between branches
  • Push and pull from remote repositories
  • GitHub authentication with OAuth device flow
  • Visual merge conflict resolution with embedded editors

​
Image Support

Images are automatically optimized for the web:
  • Automatic conversion to WebP format for smaller file sizes
  • Thumbnail generation for faster previews
  • Drag-and-drop image uploads
  • Image preview in the sidebar

​
One-Click Publishing

Deploy your static sites to popular hosting platforms:
  • Netlify - Deploy with OAuth authentication
  • Vercel - Deploy with SDK integration
  • Cloudflare Pages - Deploy with API tokens
  • GitHub Pages - Deploy directly from your repository
  • AWS S3 - Deploy to S3 buckets

​
Cross-Workspace Features

  • Search across workspaces - Find files and content across all your projects
  • Spotlight search - Quick command palette with Cmd/Ctrl + K
  • File navigation - Fuzzy search for quick file access
  • Templates - Start new workspaces from templates
  • Theme customization - Choose from multiple UI themes to personalize your editing experience

​
Workspace Templates

Create new workspaces from built-in templates:

Hello World

Simple starter with a hello world markdown file and basic CSS

Blank

Completely empty workspace for starting from scratch

Basic

Empty workspace with pre-configured CSS styles

​
Privacy & Security

Opal Editor is completely free to use with absolutely no profit motive. Your data is yours - stored locally on your device with complete self-custody.
  • No telemetry - No tracking or analytics
  • No cloud storage - Your content stays on your device
  • No accounts required - Start writing immediately
  • Open source - Inspect and verify the code yourself

​
Browser Compatibility

Opal works best in modern browsers that support:
  • Service Workers
  • IndexedDB or OPFS
  • ES2020+ JavaScript features
Recommended browsers:
  • Chrome/Edge 100+
  • Firefox 100+
  • Safari 16+

​
Next Steps

Ready to get started? Follow the quickstart guide to create your first workspace and start writing.

Quickstart Guide

Create your first workspace in under 2 minutes

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us