We answer email.
Write to hi@netsmiths.com — a human at NetSmiths reads it. It helps if you mention your device, your OS version, and what you were doing at the time.
When a file references an image like , Forgedown needs permission to read the folder next to your document. The first time, it asks — choose the file's parent folder and confirm. Forgedown remembers, and every image in that folder renders from then on.
This is the sandbox working as intended: the app can only read folders you have explicitly handed to it, and that permission never leaves your device.
Common questions
Which files can it open?
.md, .markdown, .mdown and .mkd — from Finder, Files, Mail, AirDrop, the share sheet, or by dragging a file onto the window. On a Mac you can also press space on any markdown file in Finder for an instant styled Quick Look preview, and make Forgedown your default markdown app in one click from Settings.
Is it really completely free?
Yes. There is nothing to buy in the app — no purchases, no subscription, no locked features. Export to PDF and HTML, printing, themes: all included. NetSmiths makes pay-once apps; Forgedown is the free one.
Do you collect anything?
No. The app has no network entitlement at all, so it cannot send anything anywhere. The App Store privacy label is genuinely empty. See the privacy policy for the command that lets you verify this yourself.
Can it edit markdown?
No — and that's deliberate. Forgedown is a reader. Your editor already edits.
My Mermaid diagram shows as a code block
Forgedown draws flowcharts, sequence diagrams and pie charts natively, entirely offline. Other diagram types aren't drawn yet, so rather than showing you a broken image, it presents the diagram source as a formatted block with a note. If you rely on a type we don't draw yet, tell us which one — that's how we decide what to add.
A footnote or extension isn't rendering as I expect
Forgedown follows CommonMark plus GitHub-Flavored Markdown — tables, task lists, strikethrough and footnotes with two-way jump links. Footnote definitions are supported as single paragraphs; a multi-paragraph footnote will show only its first paragraph. Send us the file and we'll take a look.
What do I need to run it?
macOS 26 on a Mac, or iOS or iPadOS 26 on an iPhone or iPad. One download covers all three.
Still stuck?
Send us a note at hi@netsmiths.com — we'd love to help.