Open files in VS Code and Cursor / Docs and diagrams

Preview a reStructuredText (.rst) file in VS Code

Most RST previews for VS Code need Python with docutils or a full Sphinx project, and show an empty window when Python is missing. The free RST Preview by Zovo renders reStructuredText itself. Open a .rst file and press Ctrl+K V (Cmd+K V on macOS). The preview opens beside the editor, updates as you type and scrolls with it.

Install in VS Code Marketplace page Open VSX (Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium)JetBrains IDEs

Free, MIT license. Extension ID zovo.zovo-rst-preview, version 0.2.2. Needs VS Code 1.90.0 or newer.

A README.rst in the editor with RST Preview beside it in the dark theme, showing badges, a contents box and a code block.

Steps in VS Code

Install RST Preview from the Marketplace, or press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on macOS) and run ext install zovo.zovo-rst-preview.
Open a .rst file.
Click the preview button at the top right of the editor, or press Ctrl+K V (Cmd+K V on macOS). Ctrl+Shift+V opens the preview in place of the editor.
Double-click a spot in the preview to jump to that line in the source.
Use the toolbar to show the Outline, switch between the VS Code and GitHub looks, or export one HTML file.

Steps in Cursor, Windsurf or VSCodium

Open the Extensions view with Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).
Search for zovo.zovo-rst-preview and click Install. Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium install from Open VSX, where it is published as zovo/zovo-rst-preview.
If your editor has no gallery, download the .vsix from the Open VSX page and run "Extensions: Install from VSIX...".
Then use it the same way as in VS Code.

What RST Preview handles

Grid tables with row and column spans, simple tables, csv-table and list-table.
Admonitions, footnotes, citations, substitutions and all list types.
Code blocks in color, math with KaTeX, local pictures and figures, and include inside your workspace folder.
Sphinx directives such as toctree and automodule show as labelled boxes, and roles such as :ref: show as links or code, so the page never turns into an error.
Problems such as a title underline that is too short or a broken table show in the Problems panel.

What it does not do

It is not Sphinx. It does not run conf.py, extensions or autodoc, so text that Sphinx builds from Python code is not shown.
A :ref: to a label in another file shows as plain text.
Remote pictures, such as badges, show as a small label, because the preview loads nothing from the network.
Files over 20 MB show a Render anyway button instead of rendering at once.

In JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, CLion and others)

No Zovo plugin for JetBrains IDEs. RST Preview is for VS Code and editors built on it. In PyCharm and the other JetBrains IDEs, use one of these plugins.
ReStructuredText. 1.7 million downloads. Its description says it enables support for reStructuredText files (*.rst).
reStructuredText Pro. 1,274 downloads. Its description says it needs no Python and has a live HTML preview.

Other options

reStructuredText (lextudio.restructuredtext, 790,137 installs, on Open VSX). Pick this one for a full Sphinx build in the preview and IntelliSense. It uses Python. Its own description: "reStructuredText language support (RST/ReST linter, preview, IntelliSense and more)".
Preview (searKing.preview-vscode, 792,036 installs, on Open VSX). Its own description: "A Markdown, ReStructured Text, HTML, Jade, Pug, Mermaid, Image previewer."
reStructuredText Preview (tht13.rst-vscode, 167,477 installs, not on Open VSX). Its own description: "Provides ability to preview RST documents." Not on Open VSX.

Install counts and Open VSX status were checked on 9 November 2026. Descriptions in quotes are the extensions' own.

Questions

Do I need Python, docutils or Sphinx?

No. RST Preview renders the file inside VS Code. You install nothing else and set up no conf.py.

Will my Sphinx docs show exactly as Sphinx builds them?

No. Sphinx directives show as labelled boxes and roles as links or code, so you can read the page, but autodoc text and cross-file references are not filled in. Run Sphinx for the final build.

Can I export the preview?

Yes. Export HTML writes one file with the pictures, math fonts and code colors inside. It opens in any browser with no network.

More about RST Preview

Read the RST Preview page for every feature and setting, or the source code on GitHub.

Support this work

If this extension saves you time, you can support the work on GitHub Sponsors. Monthly tiers start at $5, and one-time tiers start at $15. Sponsorship is optional, and the tool works the same without it.

PayPal Zovo on GitHub

Need your format supported?

Open a format request with a sample file, and I reply there whether it can be done. For USD 299 once, through this GitHub Sponsors tier, I add your file format or a missing feature to this extension, with tests, within 7 days.