Open markdown files in a formatted viewer panel with live reload. Use when you need to display plans, documentation, or notes alongside the terminal with rich rendering (headings, code blocks, tables, lists).
Use this skill to display markdown files in a dedicated panel with rich formatting and live file watching.
.md file.# Open a markdown file as a split panel next to the current terminal
cmux markdown open plan.md
# Absolute path
cmux markdown open /path/to/PLAN.md
# Target a specific workspace
cmux markdown open design.md --workspace workspace:2
The panel automatically re-renders when the file changes on disk. This works with:
echo "..." >> plan.md)If the file is deleted, the panel shows a "file unavailable" state. During atomic replace, the panel attempts automatic reconnection within its short retry window. If the file returns later, close and reopen the panel.
Write your plan to a file, then open it:
cat > plan.md << 'EOF'
# Task Plan
## Steps
1. Analyze the codebase
2. Implement the feature
3. Write tests
4. Verify the build
EOF
cmux markdown open plan.md
The panel live-reloads, so simply overwrite the file as work progresses:
# The markdown panel updates automatically when the file changes
echo "## Step 1: Complete" >> plan.md
Add this to your project's AGENTS.md to instruct coding agents to use the markdown viewer:
## Plan Display
When creating a plan or task list, write it to a `.md` file and open it in cmux:
cmux markdown open plan.md
The panel renders markdown with rich formatting and auto-updates when the file changes.
# Open in the caller's workspace (default -- uses CMUX_WORKSPACE_ID)
cmux markdown open plan.md
# Open in a specific workspace
cmux markdown open plan.md --workspace workspace:2
# Open splitting from a specific surface
cmux markdown open plan.md --surface surface:5
# Open in a specific window
cmux markdown open plan.md --window window:1
| Reference | When to Use |
|---|---|
| references/commands.md | Full command syntax and options |
| references/live-reload.md | File watching behavior, atomic writes, edge cases |
The markdown panel renders:
Supports both light and dark mode.