PDF to Markdown — Extract Text for Notes in Your Browser
Extract PDF text to Markdown in your browser for notes or LLM paste—files stay on your device and are not uploaded to a server. Steps: choose a PDF with a text layer, click Convert, preview the output, then Download .md. Example: the sample one-page PDF becomes a .md file containing “Hello PDF to Markdown sample.” Scanned image-only PDFs fail because there is no OCR. Encrypted or damaged files show a clear error.
How it works
Choose one PDF, click Convert, review the preview, then Download .md. Text is grouped into lines by vertical position; pages are separated with ---. Everything runs in this tab after the libraries load—your file is not uploaded to a server.
Rules you should expect
Text-layer extraction, page separators, no OCR, privacy, and failure cases for local PDF-to-Markdown export.
- Engine: the page renderer getTextContent per page; items on similar y coordinates join into lines with spaces.
- Pages: output joins with a blank line, ---, and another blank line between pages.
- No OCR: if trimmed text is empty, conversion stops with a readable error—scanned PDFs need another workflow.
- Privacy & limits: bytes stay in the tab; encrypted/corrupt PDFs fail clearly; files above ~25 MB may be slow.
Example
Sample builds a one-page PDF with Helvetica text, converts it, shows the sentence in the preview, and enables Download for a .md file.
Good fits
- Office: copy contract clauses into notes or a wiki without retyping.
- Writers & AI users: export report text into Markdown for editing or LLM prompts.
- Students: pull readable lecture PDF text into study notes—when the file has a text layer.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. the page renderer runs in your tab (scripts may load from a CDN). Your PDF is not uploaded to our servers.
Why does my scanned PDF fail?
Scanned PDFs are usually pictures of pages with no text layer. This tool does not run OCR, so extraction returns empty and fails with a clear message.
Does this preserve headings or tables?
No. Only embedded text from the PDF text layer is exported. Headings, lists, and tables are not reconstructed—output is plain lines grouped by position.
How is this different from Markdown to HTML?
Markdown to HTML turns Markdown syntax into a previewable web page. This tool exports raw text from a PDF into a .md file you can edit or paste elsewhere.
When should I use PDF to JPG instead?
PDF to JPG renders each page as an image. Use this tool when you need editable text from a digital PDF, not pictures of pages.
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Questions or feedback
Something unclear, broken, or missing? Draft a message below — we read every note about these tools.