# PDF to Markdown > Convert PDF content into clean Markdown (great for docs/LLMs). - Page: https://acepdfmd.com/tool/pdf-to-markdown/ - Updated: 2026-09-13 - Runs at: https://acepdfmd.com (Uploaded files are deleted within 60 minutes. No signup for light use.) - Also in 29 languages: https://acepdfmd.com//tool/pdf-to-markdown/ ## Convert PDF to Markdown for documentation and LLMs Pasting text out of a PDF into a wiki page or a prompt for a language model usually means fighting stray line breaks, lost headings, and tables that turn into a wall of run-on words. PDF to Markdown reads the structure instead of raw text, so the output is something you can paste into documentation or feed to a model without cleaning it up first. The tool looks at font sizes to tell headings from body text, groups words into paragraphs, detects bullet points, and rebuilds tables as Markdown tables rather than jumbled columns of numbers. A scanned page with little or no real text layer gets recognition run on it automatically, so you get usable Markdown instead of an empty file. The result downloads as a plain .md file. Short, simple PDFs convert right in your browser; longer or more complex ones move to our servers over a secure connection and are deleted within 60 minutes. Heading detection depends on the document using different font sizes for headings, so a PDF where every line looks the same size comes out mostly as plain paragraphs. - Multi-column layouts and nested tables are most likely to need a manual touch-up. - Scanned pages take a little longer since text recognition runs first. - If you only want the words with no structure, PDF to Text skips the formatting decisions. ## What survives the conversion In our tests this element survived: - Headings: yes - Tables: yes - Lists: yes - Links: yes - Code blocks: yes - Footnotes: yes - Images: yes - Math formulas: yes Elements not listed are not verified for this conversion. ## How to use the PDF to Markdown tool 1. Add your PDF file: drag & drop or click to browse. 2. Set your options: Markdown profile. 3. Click “Process PDF to Markdown” and download your result. ## Common questions ### Is PDF to Markdown free? Yes. PDF to Markdown is free for light use with no signup needed. Anonymous visitors get 10 free tasks per day, and creating a free account makes daily use unlimited. A paid Pro plan removes ads and raises file-size limits for heavier work. ### Is my file safe? Yes. Your file is sent over HTTPS, processed by self-hosted open-source software on our servers (no third-party AI or cloud APIs), and deleted within 60 minutes at the latest, usually right after your result is ready. ### Does PDF to Markdown work on scanned PDFs? Yes. A PDF with selectable text is converted directly. A scanned PDF (text you cannot select) is recognised automatically with OCR, so its text still comes across editable. That takes a little longer, and you should review the result for recognition mistakes. ### What file formats does PDF to Markdown accept? PDF to Markdown accepts PDF files. Convert other formats to a supported one first; the related tools below can usually do it. ## Related tools - [Markdown Editor & Preview](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-editor/): Open, write, and edit Markdown with a live rich preview (tables, images, task lists), then export to .md, PDF, Word, or HTML. - [Markdown to PDF](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-to-pdf/): Convert a .md file into a formatted PDF. - [Markdown to Word](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-to-word/): Convert a .md file into an editable DOCX. - [Markdown Linter and Formatter](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-lint/): Fix spacing, headings, lists and tables to a consistent style and get a report of what changed. - [Markdown Table of Contents](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-toc/): Auto-generate and insert a linked Table of Contents from your headings. - [Scan to Markdown](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/scan-to-markdown/): Turn photographed pages into clean, searchable Markdown text. The same deskew and shadow-removal cleanup as Scan to PDF, then OCR extracts the text into a .md file, page by page. - [PDF to Text](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/pdf-to-text/): Extract plain, unformatted text from a PDF. Read the guide: [PDF to Markdown: How It Works and How to Use It for AI](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/pdf-to-markdown-guide/)