How to convert DOCX to Markdown
- Drop your DOCX files into the box above, or click it to choose from your device.
- Markdown is already selected for you. Press "Convert to Markdown".
- Download each new Markdown file, or grab them all at once as a ZIP.
Why convert Word (DOCX) to Markdown?
Word (DOCX) files are best for documents you still need to edit. Markdown is the better choice for notes, READMEs and documentation. It opens in any text editor, Obsidian, GitHub, while Word (DOCX) opens in word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages.
Markdown is lossless, so nothing your DOCX file contains is thrown away on the way.
Word (DOCX) vs Markdown at a glance
| Word (DOCX) | Markdown | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Zipped XML | Plain text with light markup |
| Opens in | Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages | Any text editor, Obsidian, GitHub |
| Best for | documents you still need to edit | notes, READMEs and documentation |
What happens to your file
Word files are opened with Mammoth, an open-source library that reads the document structure (headings, paragraphs, lists and tables) instead of its visual layout. That keeps your text clean and well organised, though fonts, colours and page layout are not carried across.
The page is read with your browser's own HTML parser and rewritten as Markdown by Turndown, a widely used open-source converter, with GitHub-flavoured table support. Headings, bold and italic text, links, lists, tables and code blocks become their Markdown equivalents; scripts, styles and embedded image data are left out.
Tips for a clean conversion
- Drop a whole folder's worth of DOCX files at once. They convert one after another and you can download everything as a single ZIP.
- Keep your original DOCX files until you have checked the results. Converting back later is rarely lossless.
- Markdown keeps everything it receives, so the result is only ever as good as the DOCX file you start with.
- Headings, lists, tables, links, bold and italic text come across. Pictures, fonts, colours and page layout do not, so add images back by hand if you need them.
- Tables become GitHub-style Markdown tables, and code blocks are fenced with three backticks, so the result renders correctly on GitHub, Obsidian and most Markdown editors.
- There is no direct DOCX to Markdown converter that runs in a browser, so your file is passed through 1 intermediate format automatically.
About the formats
Word (DOCX): Microsoft Word document format.
Markdown: Lightweight text formatting used by developers, notes apps and READMEs.
Questions
- Is it safe to convert DOCX to Markdown here?
- Yes. The conversion runs entirely inside your web browser. Your DOCX file is never uploaded to a server, so nobody else can see it.
- Will I lose quality?
- Markdown is lossless, so nothing your DOCX file contains is thrown away on the way.
- Can I convert several DOCX files at once?
- Yes. Drop as many files as you like. Each one is converted in turn, and you can download them one by one or all together as a ZIP.
- Is it free?
- Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. The converter runs in any modern browser, including Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android, so you can convert DOCX files without installing an app.