DOCX to Markdown, HTML, text and PDF, with headings, lists and tables
Choose a Word (DOCX) or LibreOffice (ODT) document and get it back as Markdown, HTML, plain text or PDF, with its headings, lists and tables. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded, and the screen tells you what does not carry over.
Opens without an account 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.
- 2 input formatsDOCX and ODT
- 4 outputsMarkdown, HTML, text, PDF
- Tables and listsin Markdown, HTML and PDF
- Says what is droppedthe “What does NOT pass” list
DOCX converter online: what this tool is
DOCX to Markdown means turning a Word document into plain text that keeps headings, lists and tables. This free online tool from EduFacturing reads a Word or LibreOffice document and returns it as Markdown, HTML, plain text or PDF. It extracts headings down to level 6, paragraphs, list items with their nesting level, tables, and bold and italic text.
Both formats are ZIP archives with XML inside: DOCX keeps its text in word/document.xml, ODT in content.xml. The format is recognised by which of the two files is in the archive, not by the file extension.
It converts the content, not the layout, and the screen lists what is dropped.
Word to PDF, HTML and plain text: what the tool does
Reads DOCX and ODT (Word and LibreOffice)
Opens the file as a ZIP archive and looks for word/document.xml or content.xml. A renamed file still opens. An old Word 97 .doc is not a ZIP archive and is refused with a message.
Extracts the structure and counts it
After the upload, the screen shows how many headings, paragraphs, list items, tables and images were found. Bold and italic text comes out in Markdown and HTML, while plain text and the PDF drop it.
Converts Word to Markdown, HTML, text and PDF
Markdown, a standalone UTF-8 HTML file, plain text, and an A4 PDF set in PT Sans. They download as .md, .html, .txt and .pdf, and the first three can also be copied.
Says what is dropped
The “What does NOT pass” list names the layout, headers and footers, footnotes, page numbering and page breaks. Images are counted but not extracted.
When you need DOCX to Markdown, HTML or plain text
Converting is needed when the content has to live somewhere other than Word.
Documentation: Word to Markdown
A team moves a handbook or a lab report from Word into Markdown for a repository, where the content matters.
Publishing: Word to HTML
The text becomes a standalone HTML file that opens with a double click, and Cyrillic displays correctly.
Search and comparison: Word to plain text
Plain text is for searching and comparing versions, where formatting only gets in the way.
Handouts for a class: Word to PDF
A teacher turns a worksheet or lecture notes into an A4 PDF. An invoice with a logo at fixed positions will not look like itself.
How DOCX and ODT become Markdown, HTML and PDF
There is no number to calculate, only a structure to read, in four steps.
Unzip
The file is opened as a ZIP archive. If it does not open, the tool says it is not a valid DOCX or ODT and mentions the old .doc format.
Format
If word/document.xml is there, it is a DOCX. If content.xml is there, it is an ODT. If neither is there, the archive is refused.
Walk
In DOCX a heading is a paragraph with a Heading style, and a list item carries w:numPr. In ODT a heading is text:h and a list is text:list.
Output
One parsed document is written four ways. In HTML the text is escaped first, so a <script> in the document stays text.
| Applies to | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | level n → n # signs or <hn> | n runs from 1 to 6; in the PDF the size is 20, 16, 14, 12, 11 and 11 pt, bold |
| List item | level k → 2·(k − 1) spaces and “- ” | in HTML the list is flat, in the PDF it is “•” indented 14 pt per level, in plain text there is no marker |
DOCX to Markdown without an upload: what is different
The format comes from the content
A file with the wrong extension still opens, because the tool ignores the name.
Untrusted text does not become code
The HTML output escapes all text from the document.
Cyrillic and tables in the PDF
The PDF is A4 with the PT Sans font embedded, so Cyrillic reads correctly. There is a grid and a bold first row.
The layout is not kept: fonts, colours, borders, headers, footers, footnotes, page numbering and page breaks are dropped. The PDF is a readable document, not a copy: a worksheet prints well, but an invoice with a logo at fixed positions will not look like itself.
There is no PDF-to-DOCX direction: a PDF holds drawing instructions, not paragraphs and tables. A heading made only with a bigger bold font comes out as a paragraph. List numbers do not carry over. Bold and italic are kept only in Markdown and HTML, and they are lost inside a DOCX table cell. In HTML the first table row is not a header row.
Questions about DOCX to Markdown, HTML and PDF
How to convert DOCX to Markdown?
Choose the .docx file and choose Markdown. Headings come out with # by level, list items with “- ”, and a table as a table with a separator row.
How to convert DOCX to HTML?
Choose the .docx file and choose HTML. You get a standalone UTF-8 HTML file that opens with a double click.
How to convert DOCX to PDF?
Choose the .docx file, choose PDF and download the .pdf. You get a readable A4 document, not an exact copy: fonts, colours, headers and footers are dropped.
What is Markdown?
A simple text notation: headings start with # by level, list items with “- ”, and a table has a |---|---| separator row. The tool returns it as an .md file.
What is an ODT file?
The document format of LibreOffice, a ZIP archive with XML inside. The tool reads it like a DOCX and returns Markdown, HTML, plain text or PDF.
Can I upload an old .doc file?
No. The old .doc (Word 97) is a different format, not a ZIP archive, and the tool refuses it with a message. Save the file as DOCX or ODT and upload it again.
Do I need an account?
Without an account the tool opens 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.
The DOCX and ODT converter is free. Pro opens the rest
Pro costs 15 EUR a month and opens 45 Pro tools.
In the Design group:
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Convert your document to Markdown, HTML or PDF
Opens without an account 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.