Convert a PDF to Markdown — free, in your browser
Need the words out of a PDF as clean Markdown? Extract the text layer here — every page's lines are preserved, and the file never leaves your device.
What we found testing it
We converted a 5-page how-to PDF. The headings and body text came through with line breaks intact; a bulleted list arrived as plain lines (the bullets weren't preserved, as expected). Dropping the .md into a notes app gave a clean, readable article. A scanned PDF returned almost nothing — as it should, since there's no text layer to extract (use the OCR tool for scans).
How to use it
- Open the PDF to Markdown tool above and choose your PDF.
- Click Convert to Markdown. The first run loads the text engine (a few hundred KB).
- A .md file downloads with one block per page, line breaks preserved.
- Open it in any Markdown viewer or paste it into your notes / an LLM prompt.
What PDF to Markdown keeps and drops
| Kept | Dropped |
|---|---|
| All readable text, per page | Bold / italic / font styling |
| Line and paragraph breaks | Tables (exported as plain rows of text) |
| Page separators as comments | Images and diagrams |
For scanned PDFs there is no text layer, so this tool returns little or nothing — run the OCR tool first to get the words out, then convert if needed. If you need a perfectly formatted document (not just the text), a desktop converter is the better fit.
FAQ
Is PDFzen PDF to Markdown free and private?
Yes. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded; no account needed.
Will my headings and lists stay formatted?
Text and line breaks are preserved. Lists come through as plain lines (without the bullet glyphs); bold/italic styling is dropped.
Why did my scanned PDF come out empty?
Scanned PDFs are images with no text layer. Use the OCR tool to recognize the text first, then convert.
Can I use the output in an LLM?
Yes — the Markdown is clean text, ideal for pasting into a chatbot or summarizer.
Does it keep tables?
Tables arrive as rows of text, not as Markdown tables. For exact table structure, copy from a document editor.
What file do I get?
A .md (Markdown) file you can open anywhere.