TL;DR
A blogger who began serving posts as plain text gathered a short list of websites that expose text-only endpoints or feeds. The post lists methods to access those plain-text versions, explains the format rules (MIME type text/plain), and invites others to contribute.
What happened
The author, who started publishing blog posts as plain text a few years ago, posted a short roundup linking to a plain-text version of the current item and a handful of other sites that provide text-only access. The entry argues that plain-text pages are a distinct browsing experience: fast, simple and readable, with no cookie banners, pop-ups, permission prompts or autoplaying media. The post catalogs specific ways to request text output from several blogs and projects — for example by adding .txt or .md to URLs or by appending query parameters like ?action=source — and notes one site that is entirely plain-text. Readers are encouraged to suggest additional sites in comments. The post also defines a strict rule for inclusion: the served content must have the MIME type text/plain, and must not include HTML, multimedia, RTF, XML or ANSI colour escape sequences; emoji are explicitly allowed.
Why it matters
- Plain-text endpoints can reduce visual clutter and eliminate many on-page trackers and overlays (cookie banners, pop-ups).
- Text-only pages typically load faster and are easier to read on low-bandwidth or distraction-free setups.
- Providing text endpoints is a lightweight way for site owners to experiment with alternative publication formats.
- The approach reinforces user choice on the web by offering a non-proprietary, minimal rendering option.
Key facts
- The author began serving blog posts as plain text a couple of years ago.
- A plain-text version of this post is available at https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/12/a-small-collection-of-text-only-websites.txt.
- The post lists several sites and how to access their text versions (examples include adding .txt, .text, .md, replacing .html with .txt, or adding ?action=source).
- Sites mentioned include Terence Eden, Daring Fireball, Zach Flowers, Fabien Benetou's PIM, M0YNG, Gwern, Dan Q (textplain.blog), and Matt Hobbs.
- Inclusion rule: content must be served with the MIME type text/plain; HTML, multimedia, RTF, XML and ANSI colour escape sequences are excluded.
- Emoji usage in plain-text content is permitted according to the post.
- The post metadata shows 5 comments, about 350 words, and roughly 479 views at time of capture.
- Readers are invited to suggest additional sites via the post comments or by getting in touch with the author.
What to watch next
- not confirmed in the source: whether more independent blogs and publishers will adopt dedicated plain-text endpoints.
- not confirmed in the source: whether larger mainstream sites will offer official text/plain versions or similar minimalist feeds.
- not confirmed in the source: how tooling (readers, aggregators) might evolve to surface plain-text endpoints automatically.
Quick glossary
- Plain text (text/plain): A MIME type for content consisting solely of readable characters without markup or embedded media; browsers render it as unformatted text.
- MIME type: A standard identifier used in HTTP headers to indicate the nature and format of a document (for example, text/plain or text/html).
- UTF-8: A character encoding that can represent all Unicode characters and is commonly used for plain-text files on the web.
- Markdown (.md): A lightweight markup language that is often served as plain-text source files and can be rendered into HTML by processors.
- HTTP Accept header: An HTTP request header that indicates which content types a client can process; servers may use it to return alternative formats.
Reader FAQ
How do I view these sites in plain text?
The post lists methods used by each site: common approaches include adding .txt or .text to a URL, replacing .html with .txt, appending ?action=source, or requesting .md versions where provided.
Can I add my site to the list?
Yes — the author invites site owners and readers to get in touch or leave a comment to suggest additional text-only endpoints.
Are emojis allowed in plain-text pages?
Yes; the post explicitly notes that emoji are fine.
Will plain-text pages remove ads and tracking automatically?
The post notes that plain-text pages lack cookie banners, pop-ups and autoplaying media, but it does not provide a definitive statement about ad or tracking infrastructure.
A small collection of text-only websites blogging blogs text unicode utf-8 · 5 comments · 350 words · Viewed ~479 times A couple of years ago, I started serving my blog posts as plain…
Sources
- A small collection of text-only websites
- Text Only Website Examples
- Ask HN: What are some of the best text-only websites?
- A List Of Text-Only & Minimalist News Sites (Updated 2025)
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