Markdown changed the game for writers. It provided a simple, human-readable syntax to create structured web content without writing a single line of HTML. But what happens when your content needs to be more than just static text and images? What if you want to embed a live data chart, an interactive product demo, or a custom call-to-action button?
That’s where MDX comes in.
MDX is the superpower your Markdown has been waiting for. It’s a format that lets you seamlessly write JSX—the syntax behind React components—directly inside your Markdown files. It marries the elegant simplicity of Markdown with the dynamic, interactive power of components.
This post will explore what MDX is, why it's a revolutionary tool for modern content, and how you can leverage it without a complex build setup using the mdx.do API.
At its heart, MDX is a simple but powerful concept:
MDX = Markdown + JSX
It allows you to import and render interactive components right alongside your regular Markdown text.
Imagine you're writing a blog post. With standard Markdown, you're limited to text, links, and images. With MDX, your file could look like this:
# Q3 Financial Report
Our growth this quarter has been exceptional. Below is a live chart
displaying our revenue stream.
import { RevenueChart } from './components/Charts';
<RevenueChart period="Q3" />
As you can see, the numbers speak for themselves. Let's maintain
this momentum!
In this example, <RevenueChart /> isn't just a placeholder; it's a real, interactive React component that can fetch data, display animations, and respond to user input. This opens up a world of possibilities for creating rich, engaging content.
Moving beyond static text offers several game-changing advantages for developers, writers, and marketing teams.
MDX is not magic. A browser doesn't understand .mdx files natively. To make it work, the MDX source code must be compiled into plain JavaScript that a framework like React can execute.
Traditionally, this requires a complicated build setup:
This setup can be brittle, slow down your development process, and lock you into a specific framework's ecosystem. So, how can you get the power of MDX without the pain of the build tool?
This is where mdx.do comes in. It treats MDX compilation not as a build-time step, but as a server-side utility you can call on demand. mdx.do is MDX as a Service.
Instead of wrestling with local configurations, you can render dynamic content with a simple API call. This offloads the entire compilation process, making your project faster, leaner, and framework-agnostic.
Here’s how simple it is with the mdx.do agentic workflow platform:
import { mdx } from '.do';
// Your MDX content, which could come from a CMS, database, or file.
const mdxSource = `
# Hello, world!
Welcome to the future of content.
<MyChart type="line" data={...} />
`;
// Make a single API call to compile your content.
const { html, code } = await mdx.compile({
source: mdxSource,
components: { MyChart }, // Define available components
options: {
mdxOptions: {
remarkPlugins: [remarkGfm] // Pass in any remark/rehype plugins
}
}
});
// Use the compiled 'code' or 'html' in any framework!
With mdx.do, you get all the benefits of MDX without the setup overhead. You send MDX source, and you get back ready-to-render code or static HTML. It's the perfect solution for headless architecture, static site generators, and any environment where you need dynamic content on demand.
A: MDX is a format that lets you write JSX (the syntax used by React) directly inside your Markdown files. It allows you to embed interactive components within your static content seamlessly.
A: mdx.do provides a simple Agentic API to handle the compilation of MDX content on the server. This offloads complex build processes from your client, speeds up your site, and allows you to fetch fully-rendered, interactive content on demand, perfect for any framework or environment.
A: Yes. Our API is framework-agnostic. You provide the MDX source, and mdx.do returns the compiled code or static HTML. You can then use this output with React, Next.js, Astro, Vue, Svelte, or any other library that can render JSX or HTML.
A: Absolutely. You can pass an array of remark and rehype plugins in your API call to mdx.do. This allows you to extend Markdown syntax, add table of contents, implement syntax highlighting, and perform countless other content transformations.
MDX represents a fundamental shift in how we think about web content—from static pages to dynamic, component-driven experiences. It empowers teams to create richer, more engaging websites, docs, and applications.
By removing the primary barrier—complex tooling—mdx.do makes this power accessible to everyone.
Ready to unlock the power of interactive content without the hassle? Visit mdx.do to start compiling MDX with a simple API.