Convert Office Docs to Markdown with Microsoft’s MarkItDown

Ever had a bunch of Word docs, PDFs, or PowerPoint slides that you needed in clean, portable Markdown? Microsoft’s MarkItDown is a Python tool that does exactly that—converting office documents (and more) into Markdown with minimal fuss.

Whether you're documenting code, migrating content to a static site, or just prefer working in Markdown, this tool saves you from manual reformatting hell.

What It Does

MarkItDown is a Python-based converter that takes common file formats—like DOCX, PPTX, PDF, and even audio files—and spits out structured Markdown. It’s designed to handle batch processing, supports plugins for custom conversions, and even works in Docker containers for easy integration into pipelines.

Why It’s Cool

• Broad Format Support: Beyond Office docs, it handles images, audio (via transcription plugins), and even complex layouts.
• Stream-Based Processing: Instead of just file paths, it uses streams, making it flexible for APIs or cloud storage integrations.
• Plugin System: Want to add custom converters? The plugin architecture lets you extend functionality without touching the core code.
• Docker-Friendly: Prebuilt images mean you can deploy it as a microservice for automated doc conversions.

How to Try It

1. Install:

   pip install markitdown  
   

2. Run:

   markitdown input.docx -o output.md  
   

   Or use the Docker image for a server mode:

   docker run -p 8000:8000 ghcr.io/microsoft/markitdown  
   

Check the GitHub repo for advanced configs and plugin docs.

Final Thoughts

MarkItDown is a no-nonsense tool for developers who deal with document-heavy workflows. It’s not magic—complex layouts might need tweaking—but it’s way faster than manual conversion. If you’re building docs-as-code or need to automate content pipelines, this is worth a spin.

Got a use case? Hit us up @githubprojects.