Turn a PDF into clean, editable Markdown. Headings are detected from font sizes, wrapped lines are joined into paragraphs, and bullet lists, numbered lists, tables, code, bold, italics and links are kept. Preview the result, tweak it, then copy or download the .md file.
Open a PDF to convert it to Markdown.
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How to use the PDF to Markdown
Open your PDF by dropping it into the box or clicking to choose it. The Markdown appears within seconds.
Choose what to detect: headings, lists, tables, styles, code blocks and header/footer cleanup can each be switched on or off.
Check the Preview tab to see the rendered result, and edit the Markdown text directly if something needs a touch-up.
Limit pages if you only need a chapter, for example 12-20.
Copy Markdown or Download .md to use it in GitHub, Obsidian, Notion, a static site or an AI chat.
How the PDF structure is rebuilt
A PDF stores positioned pieces of text and font information, not headings or paragraphs. The converter reconstructs the structure from the layout:
Markdown element
How it is recognized in the PDF
# to ##### headings
Font size at least about 12% larger than the main body text; the largest size becomes #
Paragraphs
Consecutive lines with the same font size and normal line spacing; a bigger gap, an indent after a finished sentence or a short last line starts a new paragraph
- bullet lists
Lines starting with •, ◦, ▪, –, * and similar markers; deeper indentation becomes a nested list
1. numbered lists
Lines starting with 1. 2) a. (iv) and similar
Tables
Two or more aligned lines that are split by wide gaps into the same columns
**bold**, *italic*
The font name contains Bold, Black, Semibold, Italic or Oblique
`code` and code blocks
Monospaced fonts such as Courier, Consolas or Menlo
[links](url)
Link annotations that point to a web or email address
Tips for the best result
PDFs exported from Word, Google Docs, LaTeX or a website convert best because they have a clean text layer and real fonts.
Multi-column layouts are read in the order the PDF stores them, which is usually column by column. If columns come out interleaved, convert one page at a time and reorder.
Turn off Tables if ordinary text with wide spacing is being turned into a table, and turn off Headings for documents that use large fonts for decoration.
Need plain text without any Markdown symbols? Use PDF to Text. Need a web page? Use PDF to HTML.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to Markdown?
Open the PDF on this page. The converter reads the text and its layout with pdf.js and writes Markdown right away. Review it in the Preview tab, then press Copy Markdown or Download .md. It is free and works without an account.
How are headings detected?
The tool finds the font size used for most of the body text. Lines in a noticeably larger font become headings, with the largest size as # and smaller sizes as ## to #####. A short line that is entirely bold and stands on its own, such as a run-in section title, becomes the next heading level down.
Does it keep tables?
Yes. Rows whose text is separated by wide gaps and lines up with the rows around it are turned into a GitHub Flavored Markdown table. The first row becomes the header, and columns that hold mostly numbers are right-aligned. Very complex tables with merged or multi-line cells may need a quick manual fix.
Why is my converted Markdown empty?
The PDF probably contains scanned page images instead of real text. There is no text layer to read, so the pages must go through OCR (optical character recognition) first. You can check by trying to select text in a PDF viewer: if you cannot select it, it is an image.
Is Markdown from a PDF good for ChatGPT, Claude and other AI tools?
Yes. Markdown keeps the structure of a document (headings, lists, tables) in plain text with very little overhead, so language models read it more reliably than raw PDF text. Removing page numbers and running headers, which this tool does by default, also cuts noise.
Are images from the PDF included?
No. Markdown references images by URL, and pictures inside a PDF have no URL, so only the text structure is converted. Use an image extractor if you also need the pictures, then link them in the Markdown.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The PDF is processed by JavaScript inside your browser and the Markdown is created on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.