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Markdown to Plain Text
Paste Markdown (from a README, a note app or a ChatGPT answer) and get clean plain text instantly. Headings, bold, links, tables and code fences are removed, while lists, paragraphs and line breaks stay readable.
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How to use the Markdown to Plain Text
- Paste your Markdown into the left box, or open a .md file. The example shows every supported element.
- Choose how links and images should appear: just the text, text followed by the URL in brackets, or only the URL.
- Pick list, heading and table styles, for example bullets as •, headings in UPPERCASE or tables as tab-separated columns for spreadsheets.
- Read the plain text on the right. It updates as you type.
- Copy or download the result as a .txt file.
What the converter does with each Markdown element
| Markdown | Example | Plain text result |
|---|---|---|
| Headings | ## Pricing or a line underlined with === | Pricing (optionally PRICING or underlined) |
| Bold, italic, strikethrough | **bold**, _italic_, ~~old~~ | bold, italic, old |
| Inline code | `npm start` | npm start |
| Links | [Docs](https://example.com) | Docs (https://example.com), Docs, or https://example.com |
| Reference links | [FAQ][1] + [1]: https://… | FAQ (https://…); the definition line is removed |
| Images |  | Logo, Logo (logo.png), or nothing |
| Lists and task lists | - item, 1. step, - [x] done | • item, 1. step, • [x] done |
| Blockquotes | > Quote | Quote |
| Code blocks | ```js … ``` | The code lines without the fences |
| Tables | | a | b | | Aligned columns, tab- or comma-separated rows |
| HTML and entities | <b>Hi</b> &, <br> | Hi &, line break |
| Footnotes | text[^1] + [^1]: note | text[1] … [1] note at the end |
When to use plain text instead of Markdown
Markdown is great for documents that will be rendered, but the raw symbols get in the way when the destination does not understand them. Typical cases:
- AI chat answers. Text copied from ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini often arrives full of
**and###. Clean it before pasting into an email, a form or a Word document. - Plain-text fields. App store descriptions, SMS, ticket systems, CRM notes and many CMS fields show Markdown literally.
- Text-to-speech and word counts. Symbols are read aloud or counted as words; plain text gives accurate results.
- Spreadsheets. Choose tab-separated tables, copy, and paste straight into Excel or Google Sheets where each cell lands in its own column.
If the Markdown was hard-wrapped (every line ends around 80 characters), turn on Join wrapped lines into paragraphs. Lines that end with two spaces or a backslash, which are Markdown hard line breaks, stay separate.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Markdown to plain text?
Paste the Markdown into the input box. The tool removes the formatting symbols such as #, **, _, backticks and link brackets, and shows the plain text on the right, ready to copy or download as a .txt file.
What happens to links?
By default a link like [FreeToolCabin](https://freetoolcabin.com) becomes FreeToolCabin (https://freetoolcabin.com), so no information is lost. You can switch to text only or URL only. Reference-style links and autolinks in angle brackets are handled too.
Are lists and line breaks kept?
Yes. Bullet and numbered lists keep their items, numbers and nesting, and each line of your Markdown stays on its own line. If your Markdown was hard-wrapped at a fixed width, turn on Join wrapped lines to rebuild full paragraphs.
How do I remove Markdown from a ChatGPT answer?
Copy the answer in its raw Markdown form (for example with the copy button under the reply), paste it here and copy the plain text. Bold markers, ### headings and code fences disappear while the structure stays.
What happens to tables and code blocks?
Tables lose their pipes and divider row and become aligned columns or tab-separated rows, which paste cleanly into a spreadsheet. Code blocks keep their content and indentation but lose the ``` fences; you can also remove code blocks completely.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you paste or open is sent to a server or stored.
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