PDF to Markdown Converter

How to convert a PDF to Markdown

1. 1

   Upload a PDF or paste a URL

   Drop a PDF, or paste a public link to one. The free converter handles 20 free conversions per day, up to 50 pages (5 for scans and images) and 5 MB each.

2. 2

   PDF Vector picks the right model

   Digital PDFs are read directly from their text layer, and scanned pages go through OCR, so the text comes out in reading order with headings, lists and tables.

3. 3

   Copy or download the markdown

   Review the result in your browser, copy it, or download a .md file for your docs, notes, wiki or LLM prompts.

Why convert PDF to Markdown

Markdown keeps a document's structure in plain text: headings stay headings, tables stay tables, and lists stay lists. That makes it easy to edit, version in Git, paste into a wiki, or send to an LLM without the noise of PDF layout.

For RAG and AI apps, markdown from a layout-aware parser chunks better than raw PDF text, because section boundaries and table rows survive the conversion.

Frequently asked questions

Is the converter free?

Yes. You get 20 free conversions per day, up to 50 pages (5 for scans and images) and 5 MB each, without an account. A free account adds 100 API credits for larger files and automation.

Does it work with scanned PDFs?

Yes. Scanned pages and images are read with OCR (up to 5 pages on the free tool), so you get the text even when the PDF has no text layer. Very low-quality scans can reduce accuracy.

Are tables preserved?

Yes, for digital PDFs: tables are converted to markdown tables, so you can paste them into docs or open them as data. Text from scanned pages comes back as paragraphs.

Which file types can I convert?

PDF, Word (DOCX, DOC), Excel (XLSX, XLS), PowerPoint (PPTX, PPT), OpenDocument (ODT, ODS, ODP), RTF, EPUB, HTML, Markdown, TXT, CSV, TSV, XML, JSON and images (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, TIFF, BMP, HEIC). Every converter page takes every format, so you can drop any of them here.

Is my file kept?

Files are never stored permanently or used for training, and data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Files from failed requests on the shared General Instance are kept encrypted for up to 14 days to diagnose the failure, then deleted automatically.

Can I convert files in bulk or from code?

Yes. The Document Parse API takes the same files (by upload, base64 or URL) and returns markdown, with optional page-by-page output, from TypeScript, Python, cURL, Zapier, Make or n8n.

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