Free Online HTML to Markdown Converter
Moving content from the web into Markdown-based systems — GitHub, Hugo, Jekyll, Obsidian, Notion, and static site generators — requires converting HTML to clean, readable Markdown. Copying raw HTML and manually reformatting is slow and error-prone. Our free HTML to Markdown converter uses Turndown.js to produce well-structured Markdown from any HTML input, whether you paste code directly or upload an .html file from your machine.
The file is read locally and never leaves your browser. Once converted, copy the Markdown to your clipboard or download it as a .md file ready for your documentation workflow. Headings, emphasis, links, images, and lists are all preserved with standard Markdown syntax. This saves hours of manual reformatting when migrating content from an existing website, WordPress blog, or saved HTML page into a Markdown-based writing environment.
How to Use the HTML to Markdown Converter
Paste HTML code into the input field or click Upload .html to load a file from disk. Turndown.js parses the DOM structure and converts each element to its Markdown equivalent: headings become # syntax, strong tags become **bold**, links become [text](url), and lists become dashes or numbers. Layout structures like nested divs, CSS Grid, and Flexbox containers are stripped since Markdown does not support layout — only content and semantic hierarchy remain. Review the output, then copy it or click Download .md to save the result.
Who Uses an HTML to Markdown Converter?
- Content migrators move blog posts from WordPress to Hugo, Jekyll, or other static site generators.
- Note-takers save webpage content as Markdown in Obsidian, Notion, or Bear.
- Developers convert HTML documentation to Markdown for GitHub README files.
- Technical writers extract content from existing HTML pages for restructuring in Markdown-based docs.
- Researchers archive web content in portable, version-control-friendly Markdown format.
- Students convert HTML assignments to Markdown for submission on platforms that prefer .md files.
- Technical writers extract content from legacy HTML help pages for restructuring in modern docs platforms.
Key Features
- Converts semantic HTML to clean, readable Markdown
- Upload .html or .htm files directly from your device
- Preserves headings, links, images, lists, and emphasis
- ATX headings, asterisk emphasis, and hyphen lists for maximum compatibility
- Copy to clipboard or download as .md file
- 100% browser-based — files never uploaded to any server
Tips for HTML to Markdown Conversion
Clean, semantic HTML produces the best Markdown output. Pages heavy with layout divs and inline styles will lose structural information since Markdown only supports content hierarchy. After conversion, review image URLs — they are preserved as-is from the original HTML, but you may need to update them for your own hosting. For bulk migration of hundreds of pages, consider scripted solutions using Turndown's Node.js package alongside a web scraper. For one-off conversions, this browser tool is the fastest path from HTML to clean, portable Markdown. Strip navigation menus, footers, and sidebar content from HTML before converting to avoid importing boilerplate into your Markdown output. For WordPress content, use the post body HTML only rather than the full page source for cleaner results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this handle complex HTML layouts?
The tool extracts content from semantic HTML elements. Layout structures like nested divs, CSS Grid, and Flexbox are stripped — only text content and semantic hierarchy (headings, lists, paragraphs) remain. Markdown does not support layout.
Can I upload an HTML file instead of pasting?
Yes. Click the Upload .html button and select any .html or .htm file. The file is read entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a server.
What happens to images during conversion?
Images become Markdown image syntax: . Original URLs are preserved from the HTML src attributes. You may need to update URLs if you plan to host images on your own server.
Can I download the Markdown output?
Yes. Click the Download .md button to save the converted Markdown as a file. You can also copy it to your clipboard with the Copy button for pasting into editors or note apps.
Can I customize the output Markdown style?
The tool uses ATX headings (#), asterisks for emphasis (**bold**, *italic*), and hyphens for unordered lists — the most widely compatible Markdown conventions across platforms and parsers.
Is my HTML uploaded to a server?
No. Conversion runs entirely in your browser using Turndown.js. Your HTML content stays on your device and is never transmitted anywhere.
Does it preserve code blocks from HTML?
Yes. Pre and code elements are converted to fenced Markdown code blocks. Language classes from the HTML are preserved when present, producing blocks like ```javascript for syntax-aware Markdown editors.
Will it convert HTML tables to Markdown tables?
Simple HTML tables are converted to Markdown table syntax with pipe delimiters. Complex tables with merged cells (colspan/rowspan) may not convert perfectly since Markdown tables do not support cell merging.