Why I Get Down with Markdown

Summary: I started using Markdown and Markdown tools to do all of my writing before AI and vibe coding became a thing. I tried a Markdown editor to craft a blog post outline for an SEO client and fell in love with how easily you can convey heading structure, add lists, links, quotes, images, code blocks—you name it.

The Early Markdown High

I first discovered Markdown when I needed a lightweight way to sketch out a blog post outline for an SEO client. In seconds I could:

• Write headings:

  ## Section Title
  
  ### Subsection Title

• Create lists:

  - Bullet item
  - Another bullet
  
  1. Numbered item
  2. Next numbered item

• Embed links:

  [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) for notes

• Drop in quotes:

  Markdown is not just text—it’s structure.

It felt like texting the future of content creation.

Enter Obsidian: My Markdown HQ

When I discovered Obsidian, the game changed. Obsidian stores everything as .md files, so it became my primary note-taking tool. I got comfortable with:

1. Frontmatter to organize metadata:

   ---
   title: 'My Obsidian Note'
   date: 2025-08-05
   tags:
     - notes
     - ideas
   ---

2. Backlinks to connect ideas.
3. Folders to turn chaos into an organized vault.

Suddenly, structuring content was as intuitive as writing a shopping list.

AI and llms.txt: Markdown to the Rescue

When AI writing and LLMs hit the mainstream, talk of a new standard—llms.txt—surfaced as a way to help models understand your content. Guess which format was recommended? Yup: Markdown. Because Markdown is:

• Readable in raw form.
• Structured with clear semantics.
• Portable across tools and platforms.

Markdown → AI-friendly.

Markdown in Vibe Coding: Astro’s Secret

When I re-built Stand-up Teardown in Astro—ditching WordPress for better SEO—my jaw dropped. Content collections in Astro are just folders of Markdown files! No special database, no proprietary UI:

src/
└── content/
    ├── comedians/
    │   ├── joe-rogan.md
    │   └── hannah-gadsby.md
    └── episodes/
        ├── ep-001.md
        └── ep-002.md

Everything was coming up Markdown. 👏

Obsidian as a Headless CMS

I realized I could point an Obsidian vault at my Astro src/content folder and edit posts in Obsidian’s slick interface. Now Obsidian is my headless CMS, complete with backlinks, graph view, and quick search—all without leaving Markdown.

Markdown: The Perfect Gateway for Vibe Coders

For new vibe coders, Markdown is a no-brainer:

• Ease of Entry: Learn #, -, and ````` in minutes.
• Portability: Move files between Obsidian, VS Code, GitHub—you name it.
• Intro to “Code-Like” Writing: Get comfortable typing in a lightweight syntax before diving into HTML, Astro, or your favorite framework.

Markdown is your gateway drug to code.

Dive Deeper

Ready to supercharge your Markdown skills? Check out the Markdown Cheat Sheet to master headings, tables, footnotes, and more! 🚀