pdfcosmos

PDF to Markdown

Turn a PDF's text into Markdown, pick the pages, then download a .md file.

Free, fast, and privacy-first.

Convert a PDF to Markdown

or drag & drop files here

PDF files onlyone file at a timeup to 100 MB each

Convert PDF to Markdown: extract clean, structured text

Turn a PDF's words into a Markdown (.md) file you can drop into notes, a wiki, a README, or a static site. pdfcosmos reads the text and infers simple structure entirely in your browser, so your document never leaves your device.

You get a best-effort Markdown: paragraphs, bullet and numbered lists, and short all-caps titles promoted to headings. Because a PDF stores text and positions rather than a real outline, subtler headings, tables, multi-column layouts, and inline bold/italic aren't reconstructed. It reads the PDF's own text layer with full Unicode support (Arabic, Chinese, emoji), saved as UTF-8. Scanned or image-only PDFs have no text layer, so those need OCR, which this tool doesn't do. It tells you instead of returning an empty file. Convert all pages, the first or last, or a custom range.

  • Structure, not just text

    Bullet and numbered lists and clear all-caps titles come through as Markdown lists and headings.

  • Full Unicode text

    Reads the PDF's text layer (Latin, Arabic, Chinese, emoji), saved as UTF-8.

  • Honest about scans

    Image-only PDFs need OCR (which this doesn't do), so you get a clear message, not an empty file.

  • Nothing is uploaded

    The text is read in your browser. Your PDF never leaves your device.

How to convert a PDF to Markdown

  1. Add your PDF

    Click “Add PDF”, or drag a single file into the upload area.

  2. Choose the pages

    Convert all pages, just the first or last, or a custom range.

  3. Convert and download

    Click “Convert to Markdown” to download a .md file with your PDF's text.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The text is read entirely in your browser using pdf.js. Your file never leaves your device. You can confirm it by opening your browser's Network tab while converting: no file data is sent.
What does the Markdown include?
A best-effort structure built from the PDF's text: paragraphs, bullet and numbered lists, and short all-caps titles turned into headings. It's ideal for pulling a document's words into notes, a wiki, or a README while keeping simple structure.
Why isn't every heading or table recovered?
A PDF stores text and positions on a page, not a document outline, so headings and lists are inferred with heuristics, not read from real tags. Clear signals (all-caps section titles, bulleted or numbered lines) come through. Subtler headings, tables, multi-column layouts, and inline bold/italic aren't reconstructed. For raw text with no structure at all, use PDF to TXT.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
No. Scanned pages are images with no text layer, so there's nothing to extract (that would need OCR). If a PDF has no selectable text, you'll get a clear message instead of an empty file.
Which languages and characters are supported?
Any text that's stored in the PDF's text layer, including non-Latin scripts like Arabic, Chinese, or emoji. Reading text is full Unicode. The .md file is saved as UTF-8.
Can I choose which pages to convert?
Yes. Convert all pages, just the first or last, or a custom range like 1-3, 8, 11-end. All the selected pages are combined into a single .md file.
Is PDF to Markdown free?
Yes, it's completely free to use, with no sign-up and nothing to install.