ARTICLE
Read and Keep Files Your AI Tools Write
Artifact Desk opens AI-created Markdown as a readable document, JSON as a tree or table, and CSV as a table. It works locally, with the original file as the source. For useful knowledge you want to find again, KnowMan saves articles and links, searches them by meaning, answers questions with citations, and keeps memories.
Open the file you received
AI coding tools can leave you with a Markdown plan, a JSON file, or a CSV export. Artifact Desk is a desktop viewer for files created by Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Antigravity, and technical collaborators.
Open a local path, drag and drop a file, paste its path, or double-click an associated file. For more about opening these formats together, see Open Markdown, JSON and CSV in one place.
Read Markdown as a document
A Markdown file can contain headings, lists, links, and decisions. Artifact Desk shows these as a readable document, with the source one click away. That lets you read the plan without losing access to the file behind it.
Artifact contents stay local. File reading, previews, and supported edits happen on your device. See Artifact Desk’s Markdown viewer for its rich view.
Inspect JSON and CSV without losing the source
JSON objects unfold into a labeled tree. You can expand the parts that matter or switch to the exact source. Structured data can also appear as a table.
CSV rows and columns appear in a table with sorting and clear headers. The raw file remains available. Artifact Desk’s AI artifact viewer describes these views and the formats it opens.
Keep the original file authoritative
Artifact Desk’s visual views are projections of the real file, not detached cloud copies. If you make a supported edit, the source remains authoritative. Unknown text opens as text, and unknown binary files are limited to metadata and bounded hexadecimal inspection.
Artifact Desk is a file viewer and editor, not an IDE. It does not install dependencies or run a development server. When a change needs precision, the source is available.
Keep useful knowledge findable
A file is useful for reading the work in front of you. For written knowledge you want to search and ask about later, KnowMan saves articles and links, searches them by meaning, answers questions with citations, and keeps memories. It also has an MCP server that lets AI agents search it. Visit KnowMan or read Keep the files your AI writes findable to see where that knowledge can live.
Frequently asked questions
Can Artifact Desk open Markdown files?
Yes. It displays Markdown as a readable document with headings, lists, links, and decisions. The source remains one click away.
Can I inspect JSON and CSV files in Artifact Desk?
Yes. JSON can appear as a labeled tree or table. CSV appears as a table with sorting and clear headers, with the raw file available.
Does Artifact Desk upload my files?
Artifact contents are never uploaded. File reading, previews, and supported edits happen locally.
Is Artifact Desk an IDE?
No. It does not install dependencies, run a development server, or replace a developer’s coding environment.