BBCode to HTML
BBCode to HTML in Depth
Converts classic forum markup — [b], [i], [url], [img], [quote], [code], [list] — into clean HTML. BBCode was invented so forum users could format posts without touching raw HTML (and without the XSS nightmares raw HTML enables).
Migration Use
Moving a phpBB, vBulletin, or SMF forum's content to a modern platform means converting years of BBCode archives. Nested tags ([b][i]...[/i][/b]) convert correctly when properly closed; broken nesting from 2009-era posts may need hand fixes.
Why It Mattered
BBCode is a case study in safe user formatting: a tiny whitelisted tag set, no attributes beyond URLs, everything else escaped. Modern Markdown learned from it — constrained syntax beats raw HTML for user content every time.
How to Use the BBCode to HTML Converter
Turn old forum-style BBCode markup into modern HTML — handy when migrating posts from phpBB, vBulletin, or similar forums to a website or blog.
- Paste your BBCode text, for example
[b]bold[/b]or[url=https://example.com]link[/url]. - The converter translates BBCode tags like
[b],[i],[url],[img], and[quote]into their HTML equivalents. - Copy the resulting HTML and use it wherever you need it.
Example
[b]Hello[/b] [url=https://example.com]click here[/url] → <strong>Hello</strong> <a href="https://example.com">click here</a>.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BBCode?
BBCode is the lightweight markup language used by classic forum software such as phpBB, vBulletin, and SMF, where square-bracket tags format posts and signatures.
Which BBCode tags are converted?
The common ones: bold, italic, underline, links, images, quotes, code blocks, lists, and text size or color tags.
Why would I need this today?
Mainly for migration work — moving archived forum threads, old signatures, or community content into a modern site that expects HTML. It also helps when you want to reuse forum-formatted text in emails or documents without the square-bracket clutter.