One install instead of Finder plugin stacking
dotViewer covers markdown, config files, logs, dotfiles, plain text documents, and source code in one package instead of making you combine separate Quick Look tools.
Finder preview for technical files on macOS
Preview dotfiles, config files, markdown, logs, plain text, and code in Quick Look.
dotViewer turns Finder into a better technical file viewer. Preview `.gitignore`, `.env`, `README.md`, JSON, YAML, XML, shell scripts, log files, and source code without opening VS Code, Xcode, Typora, or Terminal just to inspect one file.
It is the all-in-one alternative to installing separate Quick Look tools for markdown viewing, config files, code highlighting, and plain text documents. What you see below is the real macOS product, not a web-only mockup.
One installActual app screenshotsFree downloadNotarized DMG
Common examples: .gitignore • .env • README.md • package.json • config.yaml • docker-compose.yml • notes.txt • app.log
Preview the file, not the workaround
Open `.gitignore`, `.env`, README files, shell scripts, JSON, YAML, XML, and code directly in Finder Quick Look instead of bouncing into editors and Terminal windows.
Real controls built into the app
Themes, width, copy behavior, markdown defaults, file type mappings, and status live in the companion app that ships with the extension.
400
built-in file types
582
registered extensions
295
filename mappings
53
highlight query files
Why dotViewer
One Quick Look app instead of separate markdown, code, and text viewers.
Many Finder workflows break because the right preview tool depends on the file in front of you. dotViewer is built to reduce that fragmentation. Install one app, then preview markdown, config files, dotfiles, logs, plain text, and source code from the same macOS Quick Look flow.
- Use one macOS app instead of separate markdown previewers, plain-text viewers, and syntax-highlighting plugins.
- Preview common developer files such as `.gitignore`, `.env`, `.editorconfig`, `README.md`, JSON, YAML, XML, INI, shell scripts, logs, and source code from the same Quick Look flow.
- Switch markdown between RAW and rendered views without changing tools or leaving Finder.
- Tune themes, line numbers, width, copy behavior, file mappings, and markdown defaults from the built-in app instead of managing multiple utilities.
Preview Modes
Real macOS previews for code, markdown, config files, and technical documents.
The website uses the actual preview UI language from dotViewer: dark Quick Look surfaces, file badges, top-bar actions, RAW versus rendered markdown, and the wider markdown layout with TOC support when that mode is enabled.
Code and config files
Preview `.gitignore`, `.env`, scripts, XML, JSON, YAML, and source files with syntax-aware rendering.
dotViewer is made for the technical files Finder often handles badly by default: source code, shell scripts, dotfiles, XML, config files, logs, and plain text documents. The preview stays in Quick Look, so a small inspection stays small.
Markdown
Preview markdown in source form or rendered form without switching tools.
dotViewer supports the two markdown views people actually need: inspect the source and read the document. README files, changelogs, notes, and docs can stay inside Finder Quick Look instead of making you jump to a dedicated markdown app.
Copy behavior
Selection can copy automatically, because Quick Look needs practical controls.
dotViewer includes configurable copy behavior for preview selection. That means the preview is useful for real work, not just passive viewing. The small “Copied selection” feedback below is part of the shipped product.
App Controls
One companion app for themes, typography, width, copy behavior, markdown defaults, and file type management.
dotViewer is not only a Quick Look extension. The companion app lets people change themes, tune code and markdown widths, control copy behavior, manage file types, and inspect extension status. This is part of what makes the product more useful than a narrow single-purpose preview plugin.
Coverage and limits
Broad enough to replace several niche preview tools, honest enough to say where macOS still wins.
dotViewer is strongest where Finder gives third-party Quick Look extensions room to improve the experience. When macOS owns the preview path, the limitation is stated directly instead of hidden behind vague marketing claims.
- Some file types are still claimed by macOS system preview handlers. For example, `.html` stays with the native HTML Quick Look renderer.
- TypeScript `.ts` can still be routed by macOS as MPEG-2 transport stream video in some situations, which is a platform routing limitation rather than a dotViewer bug.
- dotViewer improves Quick Look where third-party extensions are allowed. It does not override every system-owned preview path in macOS.
Install
A normal Mac install flow, kept intentionally short.
The install path is meant to feel familiar: direct download, drag to Applications, launch once, then use Quick Look in Finder.
01
Download the latest DMG
Use the stable `/download` page and you always land on the current installer, checksum, and version history without hunting through release assets manually.
02
Drag dotViewer into Applications
Install it like a normal Mac app. One app, one DMG, no account wall, and no chain of separate Quick Look add-ons.
03
Launch once, then use Quick Look
The first launch registers the extension. After that, select a supported file in Finder and press Space to preview it.
Free download in the current public release phase. One notarized DMG, one launch, and then you can use Space in Finder to preview markdown, config files, dotfiles, plain text documents, logs, and code.
FAQ
Short answers before installation.
What files is dotViewer built for?
dotViewer is built for the technical text files people keep checking in Finder: dotfiles, config files, markdown documents, logs, plain text documents, and source code.
Can dotViewer preview dotfiles like `.gitignore` and config files like JSON, YAML, XML, and INI?
Yes. The app is designed around exactly that workflow, including common files such as `.gitignore`, `.env`, `.editorconfig`, `package.json`, YAML, XML, plist, log files, and many other text-based formats.
Why use dotViewer instead of separate markdown or code preview extensions?
Because dotViewer is meant to be the all-in-one Quick Look upgrade. Instead of installing one utility for markdown, another for plain text, and another for syntax highlighting, you get a single macOS app with one settings surface and one install flow.
Does it replace Finder's built-in Quick Look for every file type?
No. Some file types are owned by system handlers in macOS, and those still take priority. dotViewer is designed to improve the technical file cases where third-party Quick Look extensions can realistically help.
Is the app signed and notarized?
Yes. The public download flow is built around a Developer ID signed, notarized DMG so installation feels trustworthy and Gatekeeper-friendly for normal macOS users.
Can I tune the preview and app UI?
Yes. dotViewer includes built-in themes, font sizing, content width controls, line-number and word-wrap options, markdown defaults, copy behavior, file type controls, and more inside the companion app.
A better Finder Quick Look workflow for technical files on macOS.
dotViewer is for the moments when you just need to inspect the file, understand what it is, and keep moving. Download the latest DMG or read the release history before installing.