DOCUMENTS, READY FOR WHAT’S NEXT

PDF to MarkdownOnline Converter

Make text-based PDFs easier to search, quote and bring into an AI workflow.

Source file

20 MB max

Drop a document here

or select one from your device

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PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, HTML, TXT, CSV, JSON, XML

One file · up to 20 MB

Files are processed on our server and deleted after each request. No account required. Privacy ↗

A simpler format starts here.

Choose a file to see its Markdown here. Headings, lists and tables stay easy to work with.

Your original file is not modified.

Ready to convert

How to convert a PDF to Markdown

Check for selectable text
Select and copy a sentence from your PDF. Scanned pages need OCR before using this converter.
Upload the PDF
Choose an unlocked .pdf file up to 20 MB, then select Convert to Markdown.
Review and save
Check reading order, page breaks and table text against the PDF, then copy or download the .md file.

Before you upload

Start with a text-based PDF

Try selecting a sentence in your PDF viewer. If you can copy readable text, the file probably has a text layer this converter can extract. Upload the PDF, convert it, and compare the output against a few representative pages.

Check tables and reading order

PDF stores visual positions rather than a reliable document outline. Columns, headers, footnotes and complex tables may appear in a different order. Markdown tables cannot represent every merged cell or layout. Check numbers and labels against the source.

Scanned pages need another step

A scan is an image, even when its filename ends in .pdf. This preview has no OCR service. Run OCR first and export a searchable PDF, or use a dedicated OCR workflow. Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked before upload.

PDF to Markdown · A real conversion example

Synthetic demonstration content, converted with MarkItDown 0.1.9. Download the source and upload it above to compare the result. Layout and table handling vary with your document.

Source document content

Project notes
This is a demonstration document.
Goal: prepare source files for a knowledge base.
Next step: check extracted text against the original.

Download sample (PDF) ↓

Actual Markdown output

Project notes

This is a demonstration document.

Goal: prepare source files for a knowledge base.

Next step: check extracted text against the original.

Download example Markdown (.md) ↓

Choose a format. Keep the content.

Each file type needs a slightly different approach. Start with the format you use.

Source format	What you get	Conversion guide
PDF	Readable text and supported tables	PDF to Markdown
DOCX	Headings, paragraphs, lists and tables	Word to Markdown
PPTX	Slide text and supported tables	PowerPoint to Markdown
XLSX	Worksheet content as text tables	Excel to Markdown

Related MarkItDown guides

All guides ↗

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Why a Scanned PDF Needs OCR Before Markdown Conversion

5 min read

MarkItDown Tutorial: Install, Python API & Command Line

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Prepare Converted Markdown for AI and Knowledge Bases

PDF to Markdown: common questions

Can MarkItDown convert a scanned PDF?

This online version does not run OCR. It extracts an existing text layer. Use OCR to create a searchable PDF first; a mixed document may otherwise lose image-only pages.

Will PDF tables become Markdown tables?

PDF extraction depends on how the page was created. Table cells may appear as lines of text rather than a Markdown table. Compare the result with the original and rebuild important tables when necessary.

Why are PDF columns or line breaks out of order?

A PDF positions text on a page rather than storing a simple paragraph sequence. Multi-column pages, headers and footers can interrupt the reading order. Review and edit the extracted text.

Can I convert a password-protected PDF?

Unlock it in a PDF editor before uploading. This site does not accept a password or remove encryption. If extraction fails, re-export a text-based PDF and try again.