BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is a lightweight markup language used on forums and message boards to format posts. Tags sit in square brackets, such as [b]bold[/b] or [url]links[/url], and the forum converts them to safe HTML on display. It first appeared in Ultimate Bulletin Board in 1998 and is still supported by phpBB, SMF, MyBB, vBulletin and XenForo.

Which BBCode tags does this editor support?

Thirty in total: [b] [i] [u] [s] for styling; [h1] through [h6] for headings; [color] [size] [center] [right] [hr] for layout; [url] [link] [email] [img] for links and images; [quote] [code] [pre] [list] [*] for blocks; and [table] [thead] [tbody] [tr] [th] [td] for tables. Extensions like [spoiler], [youtube], [font] and [align] are not supported — they stay visible as literal text rather than being silently dropped.

How do I write [color], [size], [img] and [url] tags?

Color is [color=red]text[/color] or [color=#ff6600]text[/color]. Font size is [size=20]text[/size], where the number is a pixel value. Images are [img]https://example.com/a.png[/img]. Links are [url]https://example.com[/url], or [url=https://example.com]click here[/url] for custom link text. Email addresses use [email]name@example.com[/email].

Can this tool convert BBCode to HTML source?

Not as an export, no. It parses your BBCode and renders it as a preview so you can see the real forum layout, but there is no HTML output box and no copy-HTML button. If you need the markup itself, right-click the preview and choose Inspect, then copy the matching DOM fragment from your browser's developer tools.

How is Godot's BBCode different from forum BBCode?

Godot's RichTextLabel borrows BBCode's square-bracket syntax but defines its own dialect. Alongside familiar tags like [b], [i], [color] and [img] it adds animation and font tags that no forum has — [wave], [shake], [pulse], [font_size] and more. This editor renders forum BBCode, so Godot-only tags will not take effect and appear as literal text.

How does BBCode compare with Markdown and HTML?

All three format text. BBCode uses bracketed tags, was designed for forums and blocks raw HTML, which makes it the safest for untrusted posts. Markdown uses punctuation shorthand and dominates docs, blogs and READMEs. HTML is the lowest level and most capable, but forums usually forbid it from users. BBCode and Markdown are both compiled to HTML before display.

Is my BBCode sent to a server?

No. All parsing and rendering happen entirely in your browser, so your text never leaves your device and nothing is uploaded. That makes it safe to paste unpublished drafts or posts containing private details; closing the tab discards the input.

Which forums still use BBCode?

BBCode remains the common formatting syntax across forum software: phpBB, Simple Machines Forum (SMF), MyBB, vBulletin, XenForo and Discuz all support it, and it also shows up in game communities and Steam profile pages. Tag sets differ slightly between engines, so previewing before you post is the safest habit.

Online BBCode Editor

Free online BBCode editor with a live side-by-side preview. Renders 30 tags — [b], [color], [size], [img], [url], [quote], [code], [table] — locally. No signup.

This online BBCode editor gives you a live preview: type BBCode on the left and the right pane renders exactly how the post will look on a forum. It handles 30 tags — [b] [i] [u] [s] for styling, [color] and [size], [img] [url] [email] for links and images, [quote] [code] [list] [table] for blocks and tables, plus the [h1]–[h6] headings — and leaves any tag it does not recognise as plain text so typos are easy to spot. Parsing runs entirely in your browser with nothing uploaded, and the toolbar copies the BBCode source back out for pasting into phpBB, SMF, MyBB or XenForo. Note that the tool shows the rendered preview; it does not export HTML source.

BBCode Editor

152

[b]Bold[/b] [i]Italic[/i] [u]Underline[/u]

[url=https://example.com]Link[/url]

[quote]This is a quote[/quote]

[code]console.log('Hello World')[/code]

[b]Bold[/b] [i]Italic[/i] [u]Underline[/u]

[url=https://example.com]Link[/url]

[quote]This is a quote[/quote]

[code]console.log('Hello World')[/code]

Live Preview

Preview

Bold Italic Underline Link

This is a quote

console.log('Hello World')

You May Also Need

Markdown Viewer & Editor

Preview and edit Markdown with live visualization.

Open tool

HTML Viewer

Paste HTML and see the rendered page live, side by side with the code.

Open tool

Markdown to JSON

Convert Markdown AST, tables, and frontmatter to JSON.

Open tool

HTML to JSON

Convert HTML structure to JSON tree.

Open tool

How to Use the Online BBCode Editor

1
Enter your BBCode
Type or paste BBCode markup into the syntax-highlighted editor on the left, for example [b]Bold text[/b] or [url=https://example.com]link[/url].
2
Watch the live preview
The panel on the right updates in real time, showing exactly how your formatted text will render on a forum. Hit the flask icon to load sample markup.
3
Adjust and verify tags
Tweak tags such as [color], [size], [img], [quote], [code] and [table] until the preview matches what you want; the fullscreen icon enlarges both panes.
4
Copy your finished markup
Once the preview looks right, use the copy icon in the toolbar to grab the BBCode source and paste it into your forum or message board post.

References

Wikipedia — BBCode
Overview of BBCode, its 1998 origin in Ultimate Bulletin Board, and how tag support differs between forum engines.
Wikipedia — Lightweight markup language
Compares BBCode with Markdown, Textile and wiki syntax, and explains why each compiles down to HTML.
Godot Docs — BBCode in RichTextLabel
Godot's own BBCode dialect, including animation tags such as [wave], [shake] and [pulse] that forums do not have.
bbcode-to-react — the parser behind this preview
Open-source parser this page renders with; its source lists every registered tag and the HTML each one maps to.

Related Tools

Markdown Viewer

Preview Markdown formatting in real time, another lightweight markup language for posts and docs.

HTML Viewer

Render and preview raw HTML markup, handy for checking what a forum's own converter produced.

HTML Minifier

Compress HTML markup by removing whitespace and comments before publishing.

Text Compare & Diff

Spot differences between two blocks of text or markup side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BBCode?: BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is a lightweight markup language used on forums and message boards to format posts. Tags sit in square brackets, such as [b]bold[/b] or [url]links[/url], and the forum converts them to safe HTML on display. It first appeared in Ultimate Bulletin Board in 1998 and is still supported by phpBB, SMF, MyBB, vBulletin and XenForo.
Which BBCode tags does this editor support?: Thirty in total: [b] [i] [u] [s] for styling; [h1] through [h6] for headings; [color] [size] [center] [right] [hr] for layout; [url] [link] [email] [img] for links and images; [quote] [code] [pre] [list] [*] for blocks; and [table] [thead] [tbody] [tr] [th] [td] for tables. Extensions like [spoiler], [youtube], [font] and [align] are not supported — they stay visible as literal text rather than being silently dropped.
How do I write [color], [size], [img] and [url] tags?: Color is [color=red]text[/color] or [color=#ff6600]text[/color]. Font size is [size=20]text[/size], where the number is a pixel value. Images are [img]https://example.com/a.png[/img]. Links are [url]https://example.com[/url], or [url=https://example.com]click here[/url] for custom link text. Email addresses use [email]name@example.com[/email].
Can this tool convert BBCode to HTML source?: Not as an export, no. It parses your BBCode and renders it as a preview so you can see the real forum layout, but there is no HTML output box and no copy-HTML button. If you need the markup itself, right-click the preview and choose Inspect, then copy the matching DOM fragment from your browser's developer tools.
How is Godot's BBCode different from forum BBCode?: Godot's RichTextLabel borrows BBCode's square-bracket syntax but defines its own dialect. Alongside familiar tags like [b], [i], [color] and [img] it adds animation and font tags that no forum has — [wave], [shake], [pulse], [font_size] and more. This editor renders forum BBCode, so Godot-only tags will not take effect and appear as literal text.
How does BBCode compare with Markdown and HTML?: All three format text. BBCode uses bracketed tags, was designed for forums and blocks raw HTML, which makes it the safest for untrusted posts. Markdown uses punctuation shorthand and dominates docs, blogs and READMEs. HTML is the lowest level and most capable, but forums usually forbid it from users. BBCode and Markdown are both compiled to HTML before display.
Is my BBCode sent to a server?: No. All parsing and rendering happen entirely in your browser, so your text never leaves your device and nothing is uploaded. That makes it safe to paste unpublished drafts or posts containing private details; closing the tab discards the input.
Which forums still use BBCode?: BBCode remains the common formatting syntax across forum software: phpBB, Simple Machines Forum (SMF), MyBB, vBulletin, XenForo and Discuz all support it, and it also shows up in game communities and Steam profile pages. Tag sets differ slightly between engines, so previewing before you post is the safest habit.