Convert MD Files to JSON Compliant Feeds

If you've ever wished for a simple, blazing fast way to turn static markdown content into a JSON Feed 1.0-compliant API, then you're going to love **MarkdownFeeds **.

MarkdownFeeds is an open-source tool designed to take your existing Jekyll-style markdown files ( with YAML front matter) and generate JSON feeds from them — ideal for creating headless-style APIs from static content.

⚡Why MarkdownFeeds?

Modern frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or SvelteKit often need an API or data layer — even when your site is mostly static. MarkdownFeeds bridges the gap between static site generators and dynamic frontend applications by turning your markdown posts into a structured, paginated JSON feed.

Core Features

• Multi-threaded: Designed for performance from the ground up.
• Super fast: Handles hundreds or thousands of markdown files with ease.
• JSON Feed 1.0 support: Follows the JSON Feed spec.
• Pagination built-in: Serve feed data in chunks for better performance.
• Customizable: Tweak the feed output to suit your needs.
• Great for fake dynamic backends: Perfect when you want a static-hosted API that behaves dynamically.

How It Works

MarkdownFeeds parses your Jekyll-style markdown files:

---
title: "My Post"
date: 2025-07-10
tags: ["jekyll", "json"]
---

Here is some content.

And turns them into something like this:

{
  "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
  "title": "My Static Site Feed",
  "items": [
    {
      "id": "my-post",
      "title": "My Post",
      "content_text": "Here is some content.",
      "date_published": "2025-07-10T00:00:00Z",
      "tags": [
        "jekyll",
        "json"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Use this feed in SPAs, headless CMS frontends, or anywhere you’d consume API-like content.

---

Use Cases

• Create a fake API backend for your frontend project without writing a single backend route
• Build a custom blog reader app using React, Vue, or Flutter powered by JSON feeds
• Turn any Jekyll-based static site into a headless content API
• Automate content delivery to mobile or client apps without relying on external CMSs

Get Started

Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/scottstraughan/markdownfeeds.git
cd markdownfeeds

Run the generator on a folder of markdown files:

python3 markdownfeeds.py ./my_markdown_posts/ --output ./feeds/

Configure pagination, feed metadata, and more via the CLI or configuration file.

Example

How to take a directory of markdown files and generate a feed:

from markdownfeeds.Generators.Json.JsonFeedGenerator import JsonFeedGenerator
from markdownfeeds.Generators.Json.JsonFeedGeneratorSettings import JsonFeedGeneratorSettings
from markdownfeeds.Generators.Json.Models.JsonFeed import JsonFeed

JsonFeedGenerator(
    feed=JsonFeed(title='Captain\'s Log 1'),
    generator_settings=JsonFeedGeneratorSettings(
        source_directory='../1-simple-json-feed/logs',
        target_directory='json/log1',
    )
).run_standalone()

Contribute or Explore

MarkdownFeeds is fully open-source under the MIT license. Contributions, bug reports, and feedback are welcome!

🔗 GitHub Repository →

Final Thoughts

MarkdownFeeds provides a smart middle-ground between static content and dynamic applications. Whether you're prototyping, building lightweight frontends, or simply want to avoid the complexity of a backend — MarkdownFeeds has you covered.

Give it a try, and start feeding your frontend with static power!