ƿen

An open-source editor we built to write Cubud — and gave back to everyone.

ƿen (pronounced wen) is a lightweight, zero-build editor for Markdown, YAML and component-style content. It takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon rune ƿ (wynn), which means “joy” — a tool meant to bring a little more joy to the act of writing.

We wrote it to author Cubud's food pages, then released it on its own. ƿen is sponsored by Cubud but isn't a Cubud product: it carries no branding, takes no opinion on food, and is useful for any team that wants writers and developers working in the same plain-text files.

What it does

• Visual YAML frontmatter — edit nested page metadata through a clean form that serialises straight back to strict YAML.
• Smart blocks — Mermaid diagrams, charts from CSV, and syntax-highlighted code, all rendered live inside the editor.
• Zero build step — no Node, no bundler. Import the ESM modules from a CDN and go.
• Plain text underneath — a friendly interface on top, but your files stay pure Markdown and YAML.

Get it

• Browse the source on GitHub.
• Install from npm as @cubud/wen, or pull it straight from a CDN.
• Report bugs, suggest features, or open a pull request — contributions are welcome.