Morrisson. A desktop editor for Astro content on macOS, Windows, and Linux

What Morrisson is

Morrisson is a lightweight desktop editor for Astro content. Developers keep a file-based, Git-friendly workflow; editors update content without touching YAML. It runs natively on macOS, Windows, and Linux (~15 MB).

Features

Edit without YAML

Update frontmatter with simple fields instead of hand-editing YAML, then switch to raw YAML whenever you need full control.

  • Schema-aware inputs for strings, dates, booleans, and nested objects
  • Human-readable field labels, pubDate becomes “Pub Date”, url becomes “URL”
  • Tag combobox with autocomplete from tags already used in your collection
  • Frontmatter image upload: pick a file, choose the folder, auto-fill URL and alt text
  • Live image previews and an optional optimize toggle per image field
  • Toggle between Form and YAML without losing your place

Details & Markdown

Use guided inputs for structured fields, write the body in Markdown, and drop into YAML for advanced edits, all in the same entry.

  • Details tab for frontmatter with Form and YAML sub-views
  • Markdown tab with formatting toolbar, spellcheck, and the same image optimize toggle as Details
  • Drag-and-drop or paste images into the body, saved to your project with the link inserted
  • Internal link autocomplete while you type
  • Word count and reading time in the editor footer
  • Find-and-replace across the whole project (⌘⇧F)

File actions

Manage content files directly from the sidebar. Create new entries, rename files, move deletes to Trash, and jump back in time with per-file history.

  • Collapsible sidebar, hide the file tree to focus on writing; state persists per project
  • Duplicate, rename, and delete from hover actions on each file row
  • Draft and missing-field hints in the sidebar, amber for drafts, red for schema gaps
  • Collection menu for new files; Trash with restore and empty
  • Per-file history: preview, restore, or clear snapshots
  • Conflict prompts when a file changed on disk, nothing silent overwrites your work

Publish & Git

Changes save in the background with a clear status, required checks run before you ship, then publish with a suggested message and file list. Toasts surface issues in plain language.

  • Debounced autosave with a “saved” badge instead of hunting for Save
  • Preflight before publish (title, dates, required fields, and more)
  • Publish with an editable message and changed-file list; auto-append .gitignore rules for .morrisson/ metadata folders
  • Friendly errors and toasts; merge-style prompts when content changed out of band
  • Fits teams that already use Git for Astro projects

Light & dark

Choose light, dark, or system appearance to match your setup, or reduce eye strain during late-night editing sessions.

  • Light, dark, and system modes from the app menu
  • Cycle themes instantly with ⌘⇧D
  • Consistent with the rest of the desktop shell
  • Native app for macOS, Windows, and Linux (~15 MB)

Session & preview

Pick up where you left off, close dialogs quickly, and get local preview running even when node_modules is missing.

  • Unified app menu, preview, publish, updates, appearance, and shortcuts in one place
  • Press ? for a keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet
  • Recent projects on launch; remembers your last file, sidebar, and image folder per project
  • Local preview can offer npm install when dependencies are missing
  • Escape closes modals; runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux