Open Markdown files in preview mode by default in VS Code (and forks like Cursor, Antigravity)

vscode-markdown-preview-by-default.md

Open Markdown Files in Preview by Default (VS Code & Forks)

By default, VS Code opens .md files in the text editor. To open them in preview mode instead:

Steps

1. Open Settings (JSON): Ctrl+Shift+P → Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)
2. Add this to your settings.json:

"workbench.editorAssociations": {
    "*.md": "vscode.markdown.preview.editor"
}

3. Save. All .md files now open as rendered preview.

Notes

• Works in VS Code and forks (Cursor, Antigravity, etc.)
• To edit a file, right-click → Open With... → select the text editor
• Settings file locations:
  • VS Code: %APPDATA%/Code/User/settings.json
  • Cursor: %APPDATA%/Cursor/User/settings.json
  • Antigravity: %APPDATA%/Antigravity/User/settings.json

Gold!