How to convert a PDF to Markdown
- Select a PDF, or drop it onto the box above.
- Check the Markdown in the preview. If the wrong lines were made into headings, turn off Detect headings. You can also drop the --- lines between pages.
- Copy the Markdown, or download it as a .md file.
What the converter looks for
Lines are rebuilt from where the text sits on each page, and a bigger gap between lines starts a new paragraph. Text set larger than the page’s body text becomes a heading. A line that starts with a bullet or a number becomes a list item. When a link in the PDF sits over some of the text, that text becomes a Markdown link.
Your files stay on your device
The PDF is read and turned into Markdown by your browser, on your own computer or phone. Meeting notes or a draft report you convert here never pass through Oppermind, and closing the tab clears both the file and the text. The page itself uses cookies, and analytics only if you allow them, as set out in our privacy policy.
Questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is read and converted by your browser on your own device. Oppermind’s servers never receive it.
Do tables and images come across?
No. Only the text is extracted. A table’s cells come out as plain lines of text, and images, charts and drawings are left out. Text comes out in the order it’s stored in the PDF, which is often the reading order, but pages set in two columns can come out with the columns mixed together.
How are headings chosen?
It’s a best guess from font size. Lines noticeably larger than the page’s body text become headings, and the largest become #. Bold text at body size isn’t picked up, and a large quote can be mistaken for a heading, so check them in the preview or turn detection off.
Why did my PDF come out empty?
It’s probably a scan, which is a picture of the text with no text layer behind it. It needs OCR first. A free Oppermind account can run OCR on it, which means uploading the file to Oppermind.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF?
Not here. Open it with the password, save a copy without one, then convert the copy.