Formatted paste workflow
How to Convert Rich Text to Markdown
Copy the formatted passage you can see in your editor, paste it into the workbench above, and use the Markdown result immediately. This rich text to Markdown workflow reads the clipboard HTML supplied by apps such as Google Docs, Notion, Microsoft Word, and Gmail. It keeps document structure while dropping the fonts, colors, spacing rules, and layout attributes that do not belong in Markdown.
- Copy the finished content. Select headings, paragraphs, lists, links, tables, or code in the source app. You do not need to reveal or inspect its underlying markup.
- Paste into Formatted input. A normal Cmd/Ctrl + V gives the rich text to Markdown converter the rich clipboard representation when one is available. The output updates as you paste or edit.
- Review and export. Choose an output profile, inspect the rendered preview and conversion notices, then edit, copy, or download the Markdown.
If an app provides only plain text, the converter uses a plain-text fallback. Paragraph breaks remain readable, but formatting that never reached the clipboard cannot be reconstructed. A notice tells you when no rich formatting was detected, so you can decide whether to copy again from the original editor.
Structure, not styling
What Formatting Is Preserved?
Markdown describes meaning more than appearance. Rich text to Markdown conversion therefore favors portable structure: a heading stays a heading, while a blue 28-pixel font becomes ordinary heading syntax. Inline classes, IDs, colors, typefaces, and pasted spacing are removed. The diagnostics beneath the result summarize cleanup and call out content that deserves a human check.
Headings, Lists, Links, and Emphasis
Heading levels become ATX headings with hash marks. Ordered and unordered lists keep their sequence and nesting where the source clipboard exposes it. Links retain safe destinations, while unsafe link schemes are removed. Bold text becomes double-asterisk emphasis, italic text uses underscores, and blockquotes remain quoted blocks. Word-style list paragraphs are normalized into real Markdown lists instead of preserving office-specific class names.
Visual-only choices are intentionally absent. Highlight colors, font size, alignment, and margin settings do not travel into the result. That makes the Markdown easier to review in GitHub, edit in Obsidian, or store beside code without importing a document editor's private presentation rules.
Tables, Code Blocks, and Images
Tables are supported, but their exact output depends on the selected profile. GitHub and AI-ready can produce GitHub Flavored Markdown tables. Standard turns table rows into readable pipe-separated text because core Markdown has no table specification. When a table has no header, the first row is promoted and reported. Rowspan and colspan have no faithful Markdown equivalent, so merged cells trigger a review notice. After conversion, you can polish the generated Markdown table when column spacing needs a final pass.
Preformatted code becomes a fenced code block, and a recognized language label is retained when the clipboard includes one. Images whose source is an absolute HTTPS URL can become Markdown images. The converter does not check whether the address is reachable or publicly accessible. Pasted screenshots, local file references, data URLs, and temporary blob URLs cannot remain usable outside your browser; the converter replaces those unsupported images with their alt text and flags them for review.
Everyday handoffs
Convert Google Docs, Notion, Word, and Email to Markdown
Use rich text to Markdown when the source already looks right and you want its meaning in portable text. Copy a Google Docs release note into a repository, move a Notion runbook into an Obsidian vault, or turn a Word outline into a clean README draft. A Gmail briefing can become a knowledge-base entry without carrying email fonts and signature styling into the destination.
Each source has its own clipboard habits. Google Docs usually exposes headings, links, lists, and tables; Word may add office-specific list and style metadata that the cleaner removes; Notion can provide structured blocks; email editors may include presentation markup around otherwise simple paragraphs. Review the output rather than assuming every application exposes identical clipboard data.
This workflow is also useful before a content review. Paste the formatted version, compare the rendered preview with the original, then make small wording changes directly in the Markdown field. Once you edit the result, later source changes do not overwrite your work automatically. An Edited output state appears, and conversion resumes only when you deliberately choose Regenerate.
Choose the destination
Choose Standard, GitHub, or AI-ready Markdown
Choose this for broad Markdown readers and simple notes. Headings, lists, links, emphasis, quotes, and fenced code stay portable. Tables become readable pipe-separated lines instead of GFM table syntax.
This is the default for README files, issues, pull requests, and documentation rendered by GitHub-compatible tools. It enables GitHub Flavored Markdown table handling while keeping the rest of the document concise.
Use this when the text will enter a knowledge base or another content-focused pipeline. It keeps GFM support and additionally removes navigation, aside, footer, form, and button elements that sometimes arrive in copied fragments.
Rich text to Markdown profiles change the generated result, not the original paste. If you have already edited the Markdown, switching profiles protects those manual changes. Select the new profile, review the edited-state message, and press Regenerate only when replacing your edits is intentional.
Private by default
Why Local Rich Text Conversion Matters
Drafts copied from documents and email can contain client names, internal plans, or unpublished notes. MarkdownKit performs this conversion in the current browser tab; the pasted document is not uploaded to a conversion service. Clipboard permission is still controlled by your browser, and direct Cmd/Ctrl + V remains available when a Paste button cannot read the clipboard.
Local rich text to Markdown processing also shortens the handoff. There is no upload, processing queue, or account step between a formatted selection and editable Markdown. The result can be previewed, copied, or downloaded as a local .md file. As with any important migration, read the final text and notices before deleting the original, especially when it contains complex tables or pasted images.
Quick answers
Rich Text to Markdown FAQ
How do I convert rich text to Markdown?
Copy the formatted content from your editor, paste it into Formatted input, and review the generated Markdown. You can choose a profile, edit or preview the result, then copy it or download a .md file.
Can I paste from Google Docs or Microsoft Word?
Yes. The converter reads rich clipboard HTML when Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Notion, email, or another editor provides it. If the clipboard contains only plain text, MarkdownKit preserves readable paragraphs but cannot recreate formatting that was not supplied.
Does the converter upload my document?
No. Rich text conversion runs locally in your browser tab, and the pasted document is not uploaded to a conversion service.
What happens to pasted images?
Images with an absolute HTTPS URL can remain Markdown image references. The converter does not check whether the address is reachable or publicly accessible. Screenshots, data URLs, blob URLs, and local file references are replaced by their alt text because those sources would not remain usable after export; the result includes a review notice.
Should I choose Standard, GitHub, or AI-ready Markdown?
Choose Standard for broadly portable Markdown, GitHub for GitHub Flavored Markdown tables and repository documentation, or AI-ready for GFM output that also removes common navigation, aside, footer, form, and button elements.
Is rich text the same as HTML source?
No. Use this page when you are copying visible formatted content and do not need to handle source code. If you have HTML markup or a local .html file and want source-cleanup diagnostics, use the separate HTML to Markdown converter.