How to convert RST to HTML
- Add your .RST file - drop it in the box above or click to browse.
- Convert it to .HTML in a few seconds.
- Download your new .HTML file.
What to expect
- Sphinx-specific directives (
.. toctree::,:ref:,:doc:) only resolve inside a full Sphinx build; running a Sphinx project throughrst2htmlsilently drops them or throws errors. - Both
rst2htmland Pandoc output structurally correct but visually plain HTML - no theme is applied; add your own CSS or use Sphinx for a polished result. - RST files can embed raw HTML and scripts via
.. raw:: html; only convert.rstfiles from sources you trust.
Frequently asked questions
Why does rst2html fail on my Sphinx project?
The file likely uses Sphinx-only directives such as
toctree or automodule that Docutils cannot resolve without the full Sphinx build pipeline. Run sphinx-build -b html docs/ _build/html instead.Which tool produces the best-looking output?
Sphinx, because it applies a complete HTML theme with navigation and search. Output from
rst2html and Pandoc is correct but visually minimal.Can I convert HTML back to RST?
Not reliably - conversion is one-way. Keep the
.rst file as your source of truth and regenerate the HTML whenever it changes.What is the difference between Docutils and Sphinx?
Docutils (
rst2html) processes a single .rst file in isolation. Sphinx builds on Docutils and adds cross-file references, a table of contents, extension support, and full HTML themes for complete documentation projects.
