Mado: Fast Markdown linter written in Rust

TL;DR

Mado is a newly released Markdown linter written in Rust that offers performance improvements over existing tools, claiming to be up to 60 times faster. It supports most markdownlint rules and is compatible with multiple platforms.

A new Markdown linter named Mado, developed in Rust, has been released, claiming to be up to 60 times faster than existing tools like markdownlint and markdownlint-cli. The tool supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) and is available across multiple operating systems, including macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Mado is a fast, open-source Markdown linter designed to improve performance during large-scale documentation checks. According to its developers, it can process approximately 1,500 Markdown files in less than a second, outperforming popular tools such as markdownlint-cli, which takes several seconds for the same task. The tool is compatible with most markdownlint rules, supports configuration via toml files, and can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions.

Installation options include Homebrew, Nix, Pacman, Scoop, and WinGet, with pre-built binaries available. Mado supports both stable and unstable rules, with ongoing development to expand rule support. It is designed to be easy to configure and extend, with support for custom rules and settings stored in configuration files located in user directories.

Why It Matters

This development is significant because it addresses a common bottleneck in large documentation projects: slow linting times. By offering a tool that is substantially faster, Mado could streamline development workflows, improve code review cycles, and reduce resource consumption during continuous integration processes. Its compatibility with existing markdownlint rules ensures it can be adopted without major changes to current setups.

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Markdown linter for developers

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Background

Markdown linters like markdownlint and markdownlint-cli are widely used in software documentation, open-source projects, and technical writing. While effective, these tools can become slow with large datasets or extensive codebases, especially when run repeatedly in CI pipelines. Mado’s development in Rust, a language known for performance and safety, aims to overcome these limitations. The project is part of a broader trend toward performance-optimized developer tools, with benchmarks showing it outperforms Node.js and Ruby-based linters.

“Mado delivers a significant speedup in Markdown linting, making it feasible to run comprehensive checks on large documentation repositories in seconds.”

— Aki Omik, developer of Mado

“The performance gains are impressive, especially for CI workflows where time savings can directly translate into faster releases.”

— Hacker News community member

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What Remains Unclear

Details about the full extent of rule support, long-term stability, and user adoption are still emerging. The project is relatively new, and ongoing development may introduce new features or changes. It is not yet clear how well Mado integrates with all existing markdownlint rules or how it performs in very large or complex repositories beyond initial benchmarks.

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Markdown documentation checker

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What’s Next

Next steps include wider adoption by developers, integration into CI/CD pipelines, and community testing. Future updates may expand rule support, improve configurability, and enhance stability. Monitoring user feedback will be crucial to evaluate its impact and identify areas for improvement.

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CI/CD Markdown validation tools

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Key Questions

How does Mado compare in performance to existing Markdown linters?

According to benchmarks shared by the developer, Mado is approximately 49-60 times faster than tools like markdownlint-cli and markdownlint, especially when linting large numbers of files.

What platforms does Mado support?

Mado supports macOS, Linux, and Windows, with installation options via Homebrew, Nix, Pacman, Scoop, and WinGet. Pre-built binaries are also available.

Can Mado replace existing markdownlint tools?

Yes, Mado supports most markdownlint rules and can be configured similarly, making it a viable replacement for performance-critical workflows.

Is Mado stable for production use?

As a new project, Mado is still in development, and users should evaluate it in their specific contexts. Ongoing updates are expected to improve stability and feature support.

How can I contribute or learn more about Mado?

Development and source code are hosted on GitHub, where users can contribute, report issues, and follow updates. The project is actively maintained.

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