Automatic PDF to Markdown OCR
PDF.js handles selectable text first. Only an empty PDF to markdown result starts local Tesseract.js OCR in a Web Worker; scan pixels and recognised text never go to an OCR API.
PDF to Markdown Converter
Convert PDF to Markdown online using pdf.js and local Tesseract.js OCR. Drop, paste, or link files and get clean, editable .md in your browser — free, private, and batch-ready.
Drop PDF files here or
Your files never leave your browser
Select one or multiple PDFs, up to 100 MB each. You can also paste a file with Cmd/Ctrl V
Preview the PDF and Markdown Side by Side
This PDF to markdown workspace does more than handle digital documents: when direct extraction produces no usable text, it retries the scanned PDF with OCR. Open the source PDF beside the result, convert directly from a URL, expand to fullscreen, and export the moment it looks right — all processing still runs on your device.
https://markdownviewer.org/pdf-to-markdown
Convert a PDF to Markdown Straight From a URL
Skip the download. Paste a link to a PDF — or pick a built-in sample — and conversion starts in your browser. When a host blocks cross-origin downloads, a privacy-safe fetch retrieves the public file so previously blocked links convert cleanly.
- Start from a PDF URL or one-click sample document
- CORS-blocked hosts handled by a privacy-safe fetch
- Preview, raw markdown, and fullscreen views
- Copy, download .md, print, or open in Markdown Viewer
Everything This PDF to Markdown Converter Does
More than raw text extraction — this converter keeps normal documents on the fast PDF.js path and reserves OCR for scans that direct extraction cannot read.
Smart Structure Detection
The PDF to markdown engine maps font sizes to headings, preserving chapter and section hierarchy.
Lists & Bullets Preserved
Bulleted and numbered lines become proper Markdown lists, including their original ordered-list numbering.
Batch PDF to Markdown
Queue multiple PDFs without freezing the tab; each PDF to markdown job reports its own progress.
Header & Footer Cleanup
Repeated headers, footers, and standalone page numbers are removed from the PDF to markdown output.
Paste, Drop, or URL
Start PDF to markdown by dropping or pasting local files, or use a PDF URL. A privacy-safe fallback handles blocked downloads.
Clean, Editable Output
PDF to markdown reconnects wrapped and hyphenated lines into paragraphs; bold and italic text stays editable before export.
Side-by-Side PDF View
Resize the source PDF beside the PDF to markdown result for fast page-by-page proofreading.
Preview, Fullscreen & Export
Switch between preview and raw markdown, go fullscreen, then copy, download, print, or open the result.
How to Convert PDF to Markdown in 3 Steps
No account, nothing to install — add a file and the PDF to markdown conversion tries PDF.js first, then falls back to OCR only when the complete result has no usable text.
1
Add your PDFs
Drag and drop one or many PDFs onto the PDF to markdown converter, click to browse, paste a copied file, or drop in a PDF URL. Documents up to 100 MB each are supported.
2
Convert PDF to markdown locally
PDF.js first converts the complete document and rebuilds headings, lists, and paragraphs. Only when that produces no usable text does the PDF to markdown converter start OCR.
3
Compare, copy, or download
Check each result against the original PDF in the side-by-side panel, tweak the markdown in place or go fullscreen, then copy it, download the .md file, print it, or open the PDF to markdown result in the full Markdown Viewer.
Private Conversion in Your Browser
Most online converters upload your PDF, queue it on a server, then hand back a download link. This PDF to markdown converter keeps local files on your device: PDF parsing, page rendering, OCR, and Markdown reconstruction happen in your browser tab.
- PDF.js parses the document and Tesseract.js performs OCR locally inside browser Workers; the PDF to markdown file, scan pixels, and recognised text never go to an OCR API.
- Text-based conversion works after the page loads; scanned-PDF OCR works offline after its engine and language data are downloaded and cached.
- A normal document never loads OCR just because it contains screenshots, diagrams, image pages, or blank pages.
- Safe for contracts, research papers, and internal reports that must stay confidential.
PDF to Markdown — Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers about conversion, OCR, privacy, URLs, and batch processing.
How do I convert a PDF to markdown for free?
Drop, paste, or link a PDF. Selectable text is extracted directly; when the complete result is empty, OCR retries the scanned document. No account or watermark is required.
Can I convert several PDFs to markdown at once?
Yes. Add multiple files and the PDF to markdown converter queues them one at a time, with a separate status for every document.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. PDF to markdown conversion runs locally with PDF.js and Tesseract.js. The OCR engine may download language data, but no OCR API receives your PDF, page images, or recognised text.
Can I convert a PDF to markdown from a URL?
Yes. Paste a direct PDF link or choose the sample. CORS-friendly files load locally; blocked public links use a privacy-safe fetch before PDF to markdown conversion.
How accurate is the PDF to markdown conversion?
A PDF stores visual layout rather than document structure, so conversion is heuristic. Selectable single-column text works best; OCR quality depends on resolution, contrast, rotation, and print quality.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to markdown?
Yes. PDF.js tries the complete document first. If no usable Markdown is found, the converter renders every page and runs local OCR. Occasional image pages do not trigger OCR.
Does it work with password-protected PDFs?
Encrypted PDFs cannot be parsed. Remove the password first, then start the PDF to markdown conversion again.
Convert Your PDF to Markdown Now
Scroll back up, drop your PDFs into the PDF to markdown converter, and get clean markdown from digital or scanned PDFs — free, private, and with no sign-up.