Convert PDF to Markdown
Pandoc maps PDF structure into MD blocks, so headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables survive better than exact page layout.
Fidelity
What actually changes
- Pandoc maps PDF structure into MD blocks, so headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables survive better than exact page layout.
- Theme-specific styling is converted to semantic document constructs when possible instead of pixel-perfect replicas.
- Images and links are retained when the input exposes them in a way the output container supports.
- Page headers, footers, comments, tracked changes, and application-only metadata may be simplified or omitted.
- Code blocks, math, and citations depend on the source markup quality and selected Pandoc readers/writers.
- PDF output uses Pandoc with Typst, producing a fresh typeset document rather than editing the original pages.
Options
Standalone document
Ask Pandoc to include a complete document wrapper instead of a fragment.
Reference DOCX
Use a DOCX template for Word styles when the output is DOCX.
Extract media
Write embedded images to a media folder for formats that reference external assets.
Table of contents
Generate a table of contents when the destination supports it.
Example
input
PDF page containing a heading and paragraphoutput
# Heading
Paragraph textDo it in code
pandoc
pandoc input.pdf -t gfm -o output.mdFAQ
Does MD look identical to the PDF file?
No. This route prioritizes editable structure and semantic fidelity rather than exact visual cloning.
Are images kept?
Images are retained when Pandoc can read them and the target format supports embedded or referenced media.
Can I use custom styles?
For DOCX outputs, use a reference DOCX; for PDF outputs, use Pandoc and Typst template options.
What happens to comments?
Reviewer comments and tracked changes are usually not part of the converted document body.
Is this available in the browser?
Phase-0 document conversions run server-side because they rely on Pandoc and related document tooling.