Which tags are supported?

The formatting tags forums actually use: / , / , , , , , / / , , and / . Anything else is stripped, keeping its text.

Are nested lists and links handled correctly?

Yes, / with nested items convert to BBCode's [list] syntax, and links convert to [url=...] tags with the link text preserved.

HTML to BBCode Converter

Convert HTML to BBCode, live as you type.

Runs in your browser, nothing sent

html-to-bbcodeyour input stays here

HTML

<p>Check out <a href="https://bytelify.dev">Bytelify</a>, it has <strong>bold</strong> and <em>italic</em> text.</p>
<ul>
  <li>First</li>
  <li>Second</li>
</ul>

BBCode

Check out [url=https://bytelify.dev]Bytelify[/url], it has [b]bold[/b] and [i]italic[/i] text.
[list]
  [*]First
  [*]Second
[/list]

Converts the common formatting tags forums actually use — bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, links, images, lists, quotes, and code blocks. Anything else is stripped, leaving its text in place. Converts live as you type, entirely in your browser.

Need the opposite? HTML to Markdown Converter

What is HTML to BBCode Converter?

Converts common HTML formatting tags (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, links, images, lists, quotes, and code blocks) to their BBCode forum-markup equivalent. Not a full HTML parser: unrecognized tags are stripped, leaving their text content in place, rather than failing outright on markup this tool doesn't specifically handle. This is useful when reposting formatted content, a blog excerpt, a changelog, documentation, to a forum, wiki, or any platform that only accepts BBCode instead of HTML. Conversion happens live as you type, entirely in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to a server.

How to Use HTML to BBCode

1
Paste the HTML: Enter formatted HTML, such as a blog excerpt or changelog entry.
2
Read the BBCode Result Instantly: The equivalent BBCode appears automatically as you type.
3
Copy the Result: Use the copy button to copy the BBCode into a forum post.

How It Works

Each recognized tag maps directly to its BBCode equivalent: ``/`` becomes `[b]...[/b]`, ``/`` becomes `[i]...[/i]`, `` becomes `[u]...[/u]`, `<s>` becomes `[s]...[/s]`, `<a href="...">` becomes `[url=...]...[/url]`, `<img src="...">` becomes `[img]...[/img]`, `<ul>`/`<ol>` with `<li>` items become `[list]`/`[list=1]` blocks, `<blockquote>` becomes `[quote]...[/quote]`, and `<pre>`/`<code>` become `[code]...[/code]`. Any tag outside this set is stripped, but the text inside it is kept in place.

Example

Before

<p>Check out <strong>this update</strong>, <em>huge</em> improvement. See the <a href="https://example.com">changelog</a>.</p>

After

Check out [b]this update[/b], [i]huge[/i] improvement. See the [url=https://example.com]changelog[/url].

``/`` become `[b]`/`[i]`, and the link's href moves into `[url=...]` with the anchor text kept as the visible label.

Common Use Cases

Reposting a blog excerpt or changelog entry to a forum that only accepts BBCode formatting.
Converting a formatted announcement from a CMS or email into BBCode for a community platform like phpBB or vBulletin.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HTML to BBCode Converter.

The formatting tags forums actually use: /, /, , <s>, <a>, <img>, <ul>/<ol>/<li>, <blockquote>, and <pre>/<code>. Anything else is stripped, keeping its text.

They're stripped from the output, but the text inside them is kept, so you don't lose content, just the wrapping tag's formatting.

Yes, <ul>/<ol> with nested <li> items convert to BBCode's [list] syntax, and <a href> links convert to [url=...] tags with the link text preserved.

Yes, Bytelify's HTML to BBCode Converter is free with no account or sign-up required.

No. The conversion runs entirely client-side in your browser, so nothing you paste is sent anywhere.