Convert HTML to Markdown Instantly

If you are moving content from CMS platforms, legacy HTML pages, or copied rich-text editors, clean Markdown is usually easier to maintain than raw HTML. This tool helps you convert HTML into readable Markdown instantly, with zero server upload.

For the reverse workflow, use our Markdown to HTML Converter.

If you want to standardize Markdown syntax conventions, review the CommonMark specification and GitHub Flavored Markdown docs.

Why Developers and Content Teams Use It

Migration-friendly: Convert older HTML documents into Markdown for static sites and docs platforms.
Cleaner version control: Markdown diffs are easier to review than dense HTML changes.
Faster publishing pipelines: Copy Markdown directly into docs repos, wikis, or content systems.
Private conversion: All processing runs in your browser.

Markdown-first workflows are especially useful when content lives in Git-based docs portals, static site generators, or engineering handbooks because plain-text diffs are easier to review than raw HTML blocks.

Key Features

Live HTML → Markdown Conversion

Paste HTML and get Markdown output in real time, or disable live mode when you want manual control.

Side-by-Side Editing

See HTML input and Markdown output together, making content cleanup much faster.

Markdown Preview

Validate the converted output structure quickly before copying or downloading.

Practical Formatting Coverage

The converter handles core documentation structures well: headings, lists, links, emphasis, code blocks, and blockquotes.

Copy + Download Workflow

Copy Markdown for quick paste into your project
Download .md file for file-based workflows

Useful Stats

Track lines, words, and character counts to keep documentation sections within your internal limits.

HTML to Markdown: What Actually Changes?

When you convert HTML to Markdown, visual output may stay similar while source format changes significantly:

Deeply nested HTML structures become simpler text-based blocks
Inline tags like <strong> and <em> become **bold** and *italic*
<a href="..."> becomes Markdown links
<pre><code> becomes fenced code blocks

This makes content easier to maintain in repositories and easier to reuse across documentation systems.

Supported HTML Elements

This converter is optimized for common documentation and content markup:

Headings (h1 to h6)
Paragraphs and line breaks
Bold/italic inline formatting
Inline code and fenced code blocks
Ordered/unordered lists
Blockquotes
Links and images
Horizontal rules

For HTML reference, see MDN HTML docs.

For semantic structure guidance, see MDN: HTML elements reference.

Output Quality Notes and Limitations

Best results come from semantic, content-focused HTML.
Complex layout HTML (deep div nesting, builder-specific wrappers) may need cleanup after conversion.
Script/style-heavy markup is not intended as primary input for Markdown conversion.
Always verify final formatting in your destination renderer (GitHub, docs site, CMS Markdown engine).

Common Use Cases

CMS to Docs Migration

Convert exported HTML from CMS tools into Markdown for docs repositories.

If the migration includes API examples, clean payloads first with JSON Formatter & Validator.

Knowledge Base Cleanup

Take mixed-format internal content and normalize it as Markdown for long-term maintainability.

For SQL-heavy knowledge bases, pair this with SQL Formatter so query examples stay readable.

Developer Tutorial Authoring

Convert HTML snippets into Markdown posts for technical blogs and engineering handbooks.

If you are working with extraction and validation patterns in those tutorials, use Regex Tester alongside this workflow.

Preparing Content for Static Site Generators

Convert legacy HTML articles to Markdown and use cleaner frontmatter/content workflows in static site projects.

Cleaning Rich-Text Editor Output

When WYSIWYG editors output noisy HTML, convert to Markdown to remove complexity before final publishing.

Best Practices for Better Output

Keep Source HTML Semantic

Use semantic tags (h1/h2, p, ul/ol, pre/code) for cleaner Markdown output.

Review Complex Nested Layouts

Very layout-heavy HTML can produce less readable Markdown. Do a quick manual pass after conversion.

Validate Links and Code Blocks

Check converted links, code fences, and quote blocks before publishing.

For URL-heavy documentation, normalize special characters with URL Encoder/Decoder.

Pair with Reverse Conversion

When final output must be HTML again, run a final reverse conversion pass and compare rendered output.

Keep Snippets Portable

Use plain Markdown code fences and avoid renderer-specific extensions when you need portability across platforms.

Quick Conversion Workflow

Paste your source HTML
Review Markdown output and rendered preview
Fix heading levels, links, and code fences where needed
Copy or download .md
Validate in your target platform renderer

Privacy and Security

Your input is processed locally in the browser. No HTML content is uploaded to a server, making this safe for internal drafts and pre-release content.

For secure browsing practices and safe content handling guidance, see MDN Web Security.

FAQs

Does this support every HTML edge case?

It is optimized for common documentation-oriented HTML. Extremely complex page-builder markup may need minor manual cleanup.

Can I convert code blocks correctly?

Yes. The tool supports <pre><code> blocks and converts them to fenced Markdown code blocks.

Is this good for docs migration?

Yes. This is one of the primary use cases, especially when moving old HTML-heavy docs into Markdown-based systems.

Is my content stored?

No. Conversion happens entirely client-side.

Why can output differ slightly across platforms?

Markdown renderers vary slightly by platform. CommonMark-compatible output is broadly portable, but renderer-specific features can differ.

Should I convert full web pages with scripts and styles?

For best quality, extract content sections first (headings, paragraphs, lists, code) rather than converting full page templates.

HTML to Markdown Converter