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HTML to BBCode Converter

Paste HTML and get clean BBCode ready to paste into a forum post — formatting tags, links, lists, images, and quotes are all handled automatically.

Last updated: May 26, 2026

Client-Side Processing
Input Data Stays on Device
Instant Local Execution
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What is HTML to BBCode Converter?

BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is the markup language used by phpBB, vBulletin, XenForo, and most other forum software. It uses square-bracket tags like `[b]`, `[url]`, and `[quote]` instead of HTML angle brackets, partly for safety and partly because it is easier for non-technical users.

When you need to take content from a CMS, web page, or rich-text editor and post it on a forum, you usually have to strip the HTML by hand. This converter automates the process: it parses HTML with the browser's DOM parser, walks the tree, and emits the equivalent BBCode. Inline styles like `color` and `font-size` are translated to `[color]` and `[size]` tags. Headings become bold + size. Blockquotes with a `<cite>` author become `[quote=Author]`.

How to Use HTML to BBCode Converter

1

Paste HTML into the input panel.

2

The BBCode equivalent appears instantly on the right.

3

Click Copy and paste into your forum post.

Common Use Cases

  • Posting a CMS-exported article on a phpBB or vBulletin forum.
  • Migrating content from a blog to a forum announcement.
  • Converting HTML email signatures to BBCode for forum signatures.
  • Taking rich-text editor output and pasting it into a forum post.
  • Quickly stripping HTML formatting while preserving structure.

Example Input and Output

A short HTML snippet becomes BBCode with bold text and an inline link.

HTML input
<p>Hello <strong>world</strong>!</p>
<p>Visit <a href="https://example.com">Example</a>.</p>
BBCode output
Hello [b]world[/b]!

Visit [url=https://example.com]Example[/url].

Privacy

All conversion happens in your browser. No HTML or BBCode is sent to a server.

Lossy conversion

BBCode is a smaller markup language than HTML. Complex tables, semantic tags (<article>, <aside>), and custom data attributes are flattened or ignored.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which HTML tags are supported?

strong/b, em/i, u, s/strike/del, sub, sup, a, img, blockquote (with cite), pre, code, ul, ol, li, br, hr, p, div, h1-h6, span (color and font-size), and center.

How are inline styles handled?

<span> elements with style="color:..." become [color=...]. style="font-size:Npx" becomes [size=N]. Other inline styles are ignored.

How are headings converted?

h1-h6 become [b][size=N]...[/size][/b] with size scaling down from h1 (20) to h6 (10).

Does this send my HTML anywhere?

No. Parsing and conversion run entirely in your browser.

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