What does PDF to Markdown keep from my document?

Headings, lists and paragraphs, written as Markdown syntax. Fonts, colours and page layout are dropped, since Markdown doesn't describe them.

Can I use PDF to Markdown output in Notion or Obsidian?

Yes. Both import .md files, and headings and lists come through as their own blocks and levels.

Does PDF to Markdown work with scanned PDFs?

Only after OCR. A scan has no text to read, so run PDF OCR from the same list first and then convert.

Why use Markdown instead of plain text?

Plain text loses structure. Markdown keeps which lines are headings and which are list items, which makes the file easier to edit and publish, and easier for AI tools to follow.

What happens to images in the PDF?

The .md file is text, so pictures aren't included. Use Extract Images from PDF to save them separately and link them in afterwards.

Can I convert a long manual to Markdown in one go?

Yes, the whole document converts into one .md file. Files up to 260 MB are accepted, and longer documents simply take a little more time.

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PDF to Markdown converts a PDF into a clean .md file with headings, lists and paragraphs marked up in Markdown, ready for a docs site, a wiki, a notes app like Obsidian, or a prompt for a language model. It spares you rebuilding headings and bullet points by hand after copying text out of a PDF.

How to convert PDF to Markdown

Drop your PDF on the page, or choose it from your device, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive (up to 260 MB). Markdown (.md) sits at the top of the Convert to list, marked Recommended. Press it and download the .md file, named after your PDF. Add several PDFs if you are moving a whole set of documents, and each gets its own file. You can rename the result on screen before downloading.

Where PDF to Markdown output goes

Technical writers move old PDF manuals into GitHub, GitLab or a docs generator such as MkDocs or Docusaurus. Knowledge workers import policies and meeting papers into Notion or Obsidian. Developers and analysts use Markdown to give an AI model a document with its structure intact, which tends to work better than a flat block of text. Students turn lecture handouts into notes they can edit and search.

Getting clean PDF to Markdown results

The converter reads the text in the PDF, so a file exported from Word or Google Docs gives the best structure. For a scan, the page flags it and suggests PDF OCR first. After converting, skim the headings: a PDF that used big bold text instead of real heading styles may need a few # marks adjusted. Complex tables and images are better handled separately, with PDF to CSV or Extract Images from PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What does PDF to Markdown keep from my document?: Headings, lists and paragraphs, written as Markdown syntax. Fonts, colours and page layout are dropped, since Markdown doesn't describe them.
Can I use PDF to Markdown output in Notion or Obsidian?: Yes. Both import .md files, and headings and lists come through as their own blocks and levels.
Does PDF to Markdown work with scanned PDFs?: Only after OCR. A scan has no text to read, so run PDF OCR from the same list first and then convert.
Why use Markdown instead of plain text?: Plain text loses structure. Markdown keeps which lines are headings and which are list items, which makes the file easier to edit and publish, and easier for AI tools to follow.
What happens to images in the PDF?: The .md file is text, so pictures aren't included. Use Extract Images from PDF to save them separately and link them in afterwards.
Can I convert a long manual to Markdown in one go?: Yes, the whole document converts into one .md file. Files up to 260 MB are accepted, and longer documents simply take a little more time.