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DocumentsFree .docx converter
Word to Markdown
Convert Word documents to clean, GitHub-flavoured Markdown, with headings, lists, tables, links and images intact. Your file is read in your browser and never uploaded.
Highlights
- Headings, lists & tables
- Editable output
- Files stay on your device
- No sign-up
How to Convert Word to Markdown
This converter reads a Word (.docx) file and writes it out as Markdown you can paste into GitHub, a docs site, a notes app or an AI prompt.
The file is opened inside this browser tab and never uploaded, so it's safe for contracts, reports and other private documents.
For the cleanest Markdown
- Use heading styles — text styled as Heading 1, 2, 3 in Word becomes #, ##, ###. Big bold text stays a paragraph.
- Use real lists — Word's bullet and numbering buttons become Markdown lists. Typed dashes stay as text.
- Keep tables simple — Markdown tables can't merge cells, so merged cells are split.
- Save as .docx — older .doc files need to be re-saved in Word first.
To use this tool, start with Step 1 below. In Step 1: Add a Word file, choose or drop a .docx file, or load the example. In Step 2: Edit and export, check the Markdown against the preview, make any changes, then copy it or download a .md file.
Step 1 of 2
Add a Word file
Choose or drop a .docx file, up to 10 MB. It is converted as soon as it's added.
Drop your file here
It is read on this device and never uploaded.
.docx · up to 10 MB
Nothing is uploaded. Files are read in your browser.
Step 2 of 2
Edit and export
Check the Markdown against the preview and edit it if you like. Copy or download includes your edits.
0 characters · 0 lines
Preview
The formatted preview will appear here.
Word to Markdown guide
Get your Word documents out of Word
Markdown is the format of READMEs, docs sites, wikis, notes apps and AI prompts. This converter takes a Word document and keeps its structure, so you don't have to retype the headings, lists and tables.
The basics
How does Word to Markdown work?
A .docx file is a bundle of XML. The converter reads it in your browser, works out what each part means, and writes the matching Markdown.
Understand
Word styles are mapped to meaning: Heading 1 is a top-level heading, a numbered list is an ordered list.
Write
Each part is written as GitHub-flavoured Markdown, with special characters escaped.
Check
Edit the Markdown next to a live preview, then copy or download it.
What carries over
Word features in Markdown
What each part of a Word document turns into.
| In Word | In Markdown | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Heading 1–6, Title | # to ###### | Only text using Word's heading styles. Title becomes a level-1 heading. |
| Bold, italic, strikethrough | **, *, ~~ | Underline, colours and fonts have no Markdown equivalent and are dropped. |
| Bullets & numbering | - and 1. lists | Nested levels are indented, and numbered lists keep their starting number. |
| Tables | Pipe tables | Pipes in cells are escaped. Merged cells are split, since Markdown can't merge. |
| Hyperlinks | [text](url) | Bookmarks and table-of-contents anchors are removed. |
| Footnotes & endnotes | [^1] footnotes | Notes are listed at the end of the document. |
| Images |  | Embedded by default. Turn this off for a short placeholder instead. |
| Code & quote styles | ``` and > | Styles named Code, Source Code, Quote and similar. |
Use cases
When to convert Word to Markdown
Move content out of Word and into tools that speak Markdown.
Docs sites & wikis
Publish Word drafts to GitHub, GitLab, Docusaurus, MkDocs or Confluence.
Notes apps
Bring documents into Obsidian, Notion, Bear or Logseq with structure intact.
AI prompts
Give ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini a long document in a compact format they read well.
Static sites & blogs
Turn articles written in Word into posts for Hugo, Jekyll, Astro or Next.js.
Version control
Keep policies and specs in Git, where every change is easy to see.
Plain-text editing
Edit a document in any text editor, without Word.
Set expectations
What this converter can't do
It's built for well-structured .docx files. You may need to tidy the Markdown in these cases.
Visual-only formatting
Big bold text that isn't a Heading style, colours, fonts and layout aren't kept.
Complex tables
Merged cells, nested tables and multi-paragraph cells are flattened.
Text boxes and shapes
Text inside text boxes, SmartArt and charts may be missed.
Old .doc files must be re-saved as .docx first. Scanned documents contain pictures of text rather than text, so there's nothing to convert.
Common questions
Word to Markdown FAQ
Quick answers about converting .docx files to Markdown.
How do I convert a Word document to Markdown?
Choose or drop your .docx file in Step 1, or press Load example to try it first. It converts straight away. In Step 2 the Markdown sits next to a formatted preview, so you can check it and make edits. Then copy it or download it as a .md file.
Is my Word file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened and converted inside your browser tab, so it never leaves your device. Nothing is stored either: refreshing or closing the page clears it.
Can I convert an old .doc file?
Not directly. Word 97–2003 .doc files use an older binary format. Open the file in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs, save or download it as .docx, then add the new file here.
Does it keep headings, lists and tables?
Yes. Paragraphs using Word's Heading 1–6 styles (and Title) become # to ###### headings. Bulleted and numbered lists, including nested ones, become Markdown lists. Tables become GitHub-flavoured Markdown tables, using the first row as the header if Word didn't mark one.
What happens to images in my document?
By default they're embedded in the Markdown as data URLs, so the .md file is self-contained and the preview shows them. That makes the Markdown long, so untick Include images to replace each picture with a short [Image: description] placeholder instead.
Why did some formatting not come across?
Markdown deliberately has no fonts, colours, text sizes, page layout or merged table cells, so those are dropped. Text that only looks like a heading (large and bold, but not using a Heading style) stays a normal paragraph. Apply Word's heading styles and convert again for proper headings.
Are footnotes, links and code kept?
Yes. Hyperlinks become Markdown links, and footnotes and endnotes become GitHub-style footnotes ([^1]). Paragraphs in a code style such as Code, HTML Preformatted or Source Code become fenced code blocks.
Which Markdown flavour does it produce?
GitHub-flavoured Markdown: # headings, - bullets, **bold**, *italic*, ~~strikethrough~~, pipe tables and ``` fenced code. It works on GitHub and GitLab, in Obsidian and VS Code, on static site generators and in most Markdown editors.
Can I convert Google Docs to Markdown?
Yes. In Google Docs, choose File › Download › Microsoft Word (.docx), then add that file here.
Is there a file size limit?
Files can be up to 10 MB, which covers long reports with images. There's no daily limit and no sign-up.
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