PHP Markdown Parsing Solutions & Services

Markdown is simple on the surface, but many projects need more than the basics. Custom syntax, shortcodes, or performance-critical parsing often require going beyond off-the-shelf libraries.

I have built and optimized multiple PHP Markdown parsers, each tailored to specific use cases. A similar parser also powers the CMS behind this site.

My Approach

  • Standards first -- Support core Markdown and common syntax conventions by default. Make informed decisions to deviate when use case justifies it.
  • Richer links and images -- Extended URL options, for example:
[link to named internal page](page:page-name)
  • Custom HTML IDs and classes -- For example:
## Heading with custom ID {#custom-id .class .another-class}
  • Nesting rules -- Define exactly which elements can contain which (for example, whether inline code can be inside link, or link inside inline code).
  • Custom extensions -- Shortcodes for inserting table of contents, navigation, call-to-action blocks, or executed code.
  • Multiple parser variants -- For example, in this site CMS, a full Markdown-to-HTML parser renders individual pages, a PlainTextParser generates excerpts for category pages, and a HeadingScanner extracts data from all headings in all pages to automate internal link titles and TOC blocks.
  • Performance focus -- I have optimized execution from 300+ seconds down to 1-2 seconds for a thousand feature-rich pages.
  • Clean, maintainable architecture -- Features like custom link formats, nesting rules, or shortcodes are dependency-injected, making them easy to swap or disable later.

Clean Interfaces for Flexibility

Each parser is designed around clear interfaces, so your application code depends on abstractions, not hard-wired implementations. That means you can:

  • Swap parsers depending on environment.
  • Add or remove features without breaking existing content.
  • Run lightweight variants when you only need headings or plain text.
  • Make long-term maintenance easier for future developers who inherit the codebase.

What I Offer

Consulting and Setup

I can help you integrate the right Markdown parsing solution into your PHP-based project. From choosing the correct syntax and parser variant to wiring it into your CMS, you will get a clean, efficient setup.

Custom Development

Need features beyond standard Markdown? I can:

  • Add support for HTML IDs, classes, or metadata inside Markdown.
  • Extend or restrict nesting rules to fit your content model.
  • Implement and test custom shortcodes.
  • Build specialized parsers (heading-only scanners, plain-text extractors).
  • Create high-performance parsers optimized for your workload.

Migration and Conversion

I can also build scripts (in PHP or Python) to convert:

  • One Markdown flavor to another
  • Markdown with shortcodes into a clean subset
  • Other custom syntaxes into Markdown

This makes it possible to standardize content or, for example, migrate site from a legacy CMS into a modern Markdown-based system, without losing data.

Use-Case Guidance

Not sure how to structure your Markdown pipeline? I can advise on:

  • Balancing simplicity vs. expressive power
  • Making Markdown easy to type and edit for humans, and fast to process for machines
  • Handling shortcodes safely
  • Designing rules for consistent nesting
  • Performance and caching strategies for high-traffic sites
  • Long-term maintainability of custom syntax

Why Work With Me?

  • Focused stack -- 15+ years PHP experience and following best practices
  • Real-world experience -- My parsers power production CMS content, including this site
  • Proven performance -- Optimizations have reduced parsing time by over 200x
  • Pragmatic solutions -- Clean, dependency-injected, easy to maintain architecture

Get in Touch

If you would like to discuss a Markdown project or need help with a custom parser, contact me.