Building a Responsive Blog with Markdown and Next.js

Markdown is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to write content. When combined with a well-designed renderer, it can produce beautiful, responsive blog posts that work perfectly on all screen sizes.

This article explains how we use Markdown to build a fast, readable, and mobile-friendly blog using Next.js.

Why Markdown Works So Well for Blogs

Markdown focuses on content, not styling. This makes it ideal for blogs where readability and consistency matter.

Key advantages include:

• Clean and readable source files
• Easy collaboration with writers
• Excellent performance on the frontend
• Automatic responsiveness when paired with a good renderer

Headings That Scale Across Devices

Headings give structure to your content and help readers scan quickly.

Best practices for headings

• Use one main title at the top
• Break content into clear sections
• Keep headings concise and meaningful

Responsive typography ensures that headings remain readable on small screens without overwhelming the layout.

Writing Clean and Readable Paragraphs

Short paragraphs improve readability, especially on mobile devices.

Avoid writing very long sentences in a single line. Instead, split ideas into separate paragraphs so the content feels light and easy to read.

This approach also helps prevent layout issues on narrow screens.

Adding Links Without Breaking Layouts

Links should always be written using Markdown syntax.

For example, you can reference external resources like the
Next.js documentation without worrying about overflow issues.

Links automatically wrap on small screens, keeping the layout intact.

Using Lists for Scannable Content

Lists are perfect for summarizing ideas or steps.

Unordered list example

• Simple syntax
• Easy to read
• Fully responsive

Ordered list example

1. Write content in Markdown
2. Render it using a custom component
3. Optimize for mobile screens

Lists adjust spacing and indentation automatically based on screen size.

Adding Responsive Images

Images enhance blog posts when used correctly.

Image guidelines

• Always include descriptive alt text
• Prefer landscape images
• Avoid embedding text-heavy images

Images scale fluidly and never overflow the screen, even on very small devices.

Displaying Data with Tables

Tables are useful for comparisons and feature lists.

On small screens, tables become horizontally scrollable instead of breaking the layout.

Highlighting Important Notes

Blockquotes are ideal for notes, tips, and callouts like this one.

Using Inline Code for Clarity

Inline code is useful when referencing technical terms like useEffect, getStaticProps, or fetch.

Keep inline code short so it wraps naturally on small screens.

Writing Responsive Code Blocks

Code blocks should always specify a language.

hljs js
export function greet(name) {
  return `Hello ${name}`;
}