DocsFastBionic Reader & Converter — Attention-Guided Reading
Paste text or Markdown and read it with attention-guided bolding — or export bionic HTML, PDF, Word or Markdown, free and entirely in your browser.
Free forever · Runs in your browser · No signup · Fidelity report included
Last verified: 2026-10-25 · engine v0.5.0 · changelog
How to use the Bionic Reader (3 steps)
Example: Text / Markdown → Bionic document
A paragraph with a link, a table and code — the three places naive bionic converters wreck documents by bolding URLs and code.
# Reading list
Bionic reading guides your eyes with bold word openings.
See [the full guide](https://example.com/guide) or run `npm run check`.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fixation | Letters per word |
Rendered from the input at the defaults: fixation 3, saccade 1 — code, link URLs and table structure stay untouched.
Reading list
Bionic reading guides your eyes with bold word openings.
See the full guide or run npm run check.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fixation | Letters per word |
View the exact Bionic Markdown source
# Reading list
**Bio**nic **read**ing **gui**des **yo**ur **ey**es **wi**th **bo**ld **wo**rd **open**ings.
**S**ee [**t**he **fu**ll **gu**ide](https://example.com/guide) or **r**un `npm run check`.
| **Sett**ing | **Mean**ing |
|---|---|
| **Fixa**tion | **Lett**ers **p**er **wo**rd |
Fidelity report for this exact input: Measured on this exact input at the default settings (fixation 3, saccade 1): structure native (1 heading, 1 table, 1 link), 21 eligible words considered, 20 bolded and 1 skipped (too short), the code span and the URL target excluded, 0 dropped.
What converts natively (and what doesn't)
| Feature | Result in the Bionic document |
|---|---|
| Word-prefix bolding | Native — Fixation strength 1–5 and saccade interval — prefix length scales with the word, minimum one letter |
| Headings, lists, tables, quotes | Native — Structure is parsed first — bolding applies to prose inside it, never to the structure itself |
| Code fences and inline code | Native — Excluded from bolding — code stays verbatim and copy-pasteable |
| Links and URLs | Native — URL targets are never bolded; only visible link text is — so every link still works and pastes cleanly |
| PDF / Word / HTML / Markdown export | Native — Real bold runs in .docx and selectable bold text in PDF; HTML is self-contained; Markdown keeps ** markers |
| Punctuation bolding | Opt-in — Optional — punctuation is merged into the same bold span, never creating malformed emphasis |
| CJK and space-less scripts | Not supported — Word-prefix bolding is undefined without spaces — segmentation is on the roadmap; those characters pass through untouched |
| EPUB in/out | Planned — On the roadmap — today paste text, Markdown, or load .md/.txt files |
Full element-by-element ground truth, with test dates: format support.
What this tool does not do
- No: Reading-speed improvements — controlled studies (2022–2026) find none; this is an optional comfort tool, and we won't claim otherwise
- No: CJK and other space-less scripts — word-prefix bolding is undefined there; segmentation is on the roadmap
- No: Website fetching — paste the content instead; the tool never downloads pages, and nothing you paste is uploaded
- No: EPUB import and export — planned; today the inputs are pasted text, Markdown or .md/.txt files
What people use Bionic Reader for
Frequently asked questions
Does bionic reading actually work?
Honest answer: controlled studies from 2022–2026 (Readwise n=2,074, Acta Psychologica 2024 and 2026, Attention Perception & Psychophysics 2025, JEMR eye-tracking 2025) find no reliable reading-speed or comprehension gain — several found small costs. Some readers still prefer the visual anchoring, which is why this tool is a preference setting, not a promise.
Is it good for dyslexia or ADHD?
There is no controlled evidence for a dyslexia or ADHD benefit — the claims circle online are anecdotal, and the precedent (dyslexia fonts) failed controlled tests. Some individuals report it helps them focus; try the A/B-style preview here and keep only what genuinely works for you.
What do fixation and saccade mean?
Fixation is how many leading letters of each word get bolded (1 = light, 5 = strong, minimum one letter). Saccade is bolding interval: every word, every 2nd or every 3rd eligible word is emphasized. Fewer bolds calmer page — tune both until reading feels natural to you, not faster.
Which formats can I export, and is the bolding kept?
Bionic Markdown (real ** markers), self-contained bionic HTML, bionic PDF with selectable bold text, and bionic Word .docx with true bold runs. Every export preserves headings, tables, lists and links, and the fidelity report counts what was bolded and what was excluded.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Bold decision-making, the preview and every export run entirely in your browser — open DevTools, watch the Network tab and convert; no request carries your content. The same local architecture as every DocsFast tool.
How is this different from bionic-reading.com?
Bionic Reading® (bionic-reading.com) is the original trademarked implementation — a paid app suite with subscription exports and a licensed API. DocsFast's reader is free with no signup, runs locally, is structure-aware (code and URLs are never bolded), and exports unlimited files — while being explicit that the research does not show a speed benefit.
Why did my code and URLs not get bolded?
Deliberately. Bolding inside code would corrupt it, and bolding URLs breaks copy-paste and link integrity. The transform parses the document structure first and limits emphasis to prose — the fidelity report lists exactly how many spans and URLs were excluded.
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