Markdown LSP

QOwnNotes supports integration with a Markdown Language Server Protocol (LSP) server for enhanced editing features such as diagnostics (linting), completions, code actions, and document formatting directly in the note editor.

Features

• Colored underlines for detected Markdown issues and rule violations
• Context-menu code actions for diagnostics (e.g. quick fixes suggested by the server)
• Ignore rule action in the context menu to suppress specific diagnostic rules permanently
• Completions popup for note links and other server-provided suggestions (e.g. wiki-link completions with Marksman)
• Format Document and Format Selection actions via the context menu
• Incremental document sync for efficient communication with the server
• Verbose logging mode for debugging server communication

Supported Language Servers

Two Markdown LSP servers are known and supported out of the box:

Any LSP-compatible Markdown server that communicates over stdio should also work by configuring the command manually.

Setup

Open Settings and navigate to Editor -> Markdown LSP.

• Turn on Enable Markdown language server (LSP)
• Set the Command field to the executable name or full path of your LSP server
  • The default is marksman
  • Use Auto-detect to automatically search your PATH for marksman or rumdl and fill in the command field
• Optionally provide Arguments to pass to the server process
  • For rumdl the required argument is server
• Enable Show all LSP server log output in debug log for verbose diagnostic output
• Use Test Connection to verify that QOwnNotes can start the server and complete the LSP initialization handshake against your current note folder
• Use Reset ignored rules to clear all previously ignored diagnostic rule IDs

How It Works

• When you open a note, QOwnNotes sends a textDocument/didOpen notification to the server
• While you type, changes are forwarded via textDocument/didChange using incremental sync when the server supports it, or full-document sync otherwise
• Diagnostics pushed by the server via textDocument/publishDiagnostics are rendered as colored underlines in the Markdown editor
• Right-clicking on an underlined region shows available code actions and the option to ignore the rule for that diagnostic
• Completions are shown as a popup when the server provides completion items
• Document formatting is sent as textDocument/formatting or textDocument/rangeFormatting

Installing a Markdown LSP Server

Marksman

Marksman provides wiki-link completions, cross-note navigation, and diagnostics for Markdown projects. It works especially well with QOwnNotes' wiki-style note links.

• Linux/macOS: Download from GitHub Releases or install via your package manager (e.g. brew install marksman on macOS, nix-env -iA nixpkgs.marksman on NixOS)
• Windows: Download the .exe from the GitHub Releases page and place it somewhere in your PATH

After installing, use Auto-detect in the settings to locate it automatically.

Rumdl

Rumdl is a fast Markdown linter that enforces configurable style rules and can run as an LSP server.

Install via Cargo (Rust):

cargo install rumdl

Install via pip:

pip install rumdl

Download a pre-built binary:

Pre-built binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows are available on the Rumdl GitHub Releases page.

After installing, set the Command to rumdl and the Arguments to server.

Notes

• The LSP client communicates with the server over stdio (standard input/output)
• The server process is started with the current note folder as the workspace root
• Ignored rules are stored persistently and can be cleared with Reset ignored rules
• If the server cannot be started, QOwnNotes shows a warning in the status area

Related

• Spellchecking
• LanguageTool
• Harper
• Concept