PDF to Markdown Converter
Free online tool to convert PDF documents into clean Markdown. Automatic OCR for scanned files. 100% private — your PDF never leaves your browser.
Drop your PDF here, or browse
Processed on your device — never uploaded
How to convert PDF to Markdown
- 1
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop your PDF file into the converter, or click to browse your device.
- 2
Automatic conversion
The tool extracts the text layer and rebuilds the document structure as Markdown. Scanned pages are recognized with OCR automatically.
- 3
Copy or download
Review the Markdown output, edit it if needed, then copy it to your clipboard or download it as a .md file.
Why convert PDF to Markdown?
PDF is great for sharing a fixed layout, but it is painful to edit, version, or reuse. Markdown is the opposite: a lightweight plain-text format that works everywhere — in GitHub READMEs, note-taking apps like Obsidian, static site generators, and documentation platforms. Converting a PDF to Markdown lets you:
- Edit the content freely in any text editor, without PDF software.
- Track changes with Git, since Markdown is plain text that diffs cleanly.
- Reuse content in wikis, blogs, knowledge bases, and LLM pipelines that expect text input.
- Future-proof your documents — plain text will still open in 30 years.
Unlike most online converters, this tool runs entirely in your browser. That means no upload wait, no privacy risk, and no server-side file size limits. If you want to learn more about the differences between the two formats, read our guide on Markdown vs PDF, or see all the ways to convert PDF to Markdown.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to Markdown?
Drop your PDF into the converter above (or click to browse). The tool extracts the text, rebuilds headings, lists, and emphasis as Markdown, and lets you copy the result or download it as a .md file.
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
Yes. If a page has no embedded text layer, the converter automatically runs OCR on the page image to recognize the text. OCR is slower than normal extraction, so scanned documents take a bit longer.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-imposed limit because the conversion runs on your own device. Very large PDFs (hundreds of pages) will simply take longer, depending on your computer.
Will tables and images be converted?
Text content, headings, lists, and emphasis are converted. Complex multi-column tables and embedded images are not reliably recoverable from PDF text data, so you may need to adjust those manually.
Is it safe to convert confidential PDFs?
Yes. The entire conversion runs locally in your browser — your PDF is never uploaded, stored, or seen by any server.
Need the other direction?
Turn your Markdown files into polished PDF documents with our Markdown to PDF converter.