Does it work with scanned PDFs?

Not yet. Scanned or photographed pages are pictures of text, which need OCR. PDFs made from a document or exported from software work well.

What happens to images?

They are extracted and placed in the Markdown. Choose "Markdown + images (ZIP)" to get them as separate files, which suits GitHub and long documents.

Will the layout match the PDF exactly?

The structure is kept, but it is not a pixel-for-pixel copy of the original layout.

PDF to Markdown converter

Turn a PDF into editable Markdown. Headings, lists and tables are rebuilt, and images are pulled out and placed where they appeared.

How to use the PDF to Markdown converter

Upload your PDF.
Choose Markdown, or Markdown + images (ZIP).
Download the result and edit it anywhere.

What stays intact

Headings, worked out from the text sizes
Bulleted and numbered lists
Tables that have ruled lines
Images and figures
Repeating headers, footers and page numbers removed

About the PDF to Markdown converter

What works best

PDFs that were made from a document or exported from software, such as Word, Google Docs, LaTeX or a printed web page, contain real text, which the converter can read. It works out headings from the larger text, recognises lists, and rebuilds tables that are drawn with lines.

What does not convert well

Scanned or photographed pages are pictures of text, and reading them needs OCR, which is not included yet. Pages with several columns may be read in a different order, and tables without borders come out as plain text rather than as a table.

Images and large documents

Choose Markdown to get one file with pictures embedded inside it, or Markdown + images (ZIP) to get the text in one file and every picture in an images folder. The ZIP is the better choice for long documents and for GitHub.

Tidy up afterwards

Give the result a quick read. Check that headings sit at the right level and that any table with unusual layout came out as you expect, then edit it in any Markdown editor.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with scanned PDFs?: Not yet. Scanned or photographed pages are pictures of text, which need OCR. PDFs made from a document or exported from software work well.
What happens to images?: They are extracted and placed in the Markdown. Choose "Markdown + images (ZIP)" to get them as separate files, which suits GitHub and long documents.
Will the layout match the PDF exactly?: The structure is kept, but it is not a pixel-for-pixel copy of the original layout.