markdownlint-lsp

✨ This project was entirely vibe coded! ✨

No formal planning was harmed in the making of this LSP server. Pure vibes only.

A Language Server Protocol (LSP) implementation for markdownlint, providing real-time linting for Markdown files in any editor that supports LSP.

Installation

# Global installation
npm install -g markdownlint-lsp

# Or install locally for development
npm install markdownlint-lsp

This package uses pnpm as its package manager.

Usage

The LSP server can be started directly:

markdownlint-lsp-server --stdio

Most LSP-compatible editors will automatically detect and use the server via the package.json bin entry. The server communicates over stdio and follows the standard LSP protocol.

Configuration

The server supports hierarchical configuration loading, searching from the file being linted up to the workspace root. Configuration files are discovered in the following precedence order:

CLI2-style Configuration

1. .markdownlint-cli2.jsonc
2. .markdownlint-cli2.yaml / .markdownlint-cli2.yml
3. .markdownlint-cli2.cjs / .markdownlint-cli2.mjs
4. package.json (with markdownlint-cli2 key, workspace root only)

Standard markdownlint Configuration

1. .markdownlint.jsonc
2. .markdownlint.json
3. .markdownlint.yaml / .markdownlint.yml
4. .markdownlint.cjs / .markdownlint.mjs

RC-style Configuration

1. .markdownlintrc
2. .markdownlint/config

Ignore Patterns

The .markdownlintignore file is also supported for ignoring specific files or directories, following standard .gitignore semantics. Bare directory names (e.g., dist) will recursively ignore everything under that directory.

Example Configuration

{
  "extends": "default",
  "rules": {
    "MD013": false
  },
  "ignores": ["dist", "coverage"]
}

Features

• Real-time linting: Immediate feedback as you edit Markdown files
• Hierarchical configuration: Configuration files are loaded from the document directory up to the workspace root
• Multiple formats: Supports JSON, YAML, and JavaScript configuration files
• File watching: Automatically re-validates all open documents when configuration files change
• Full markdownlint compatibility: Uses the markdownlint library under the hood
• RC-style configuration: Follows npm rc package standards for .markdownlintrc files

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.