Microsoft MarkItDown#

A Python tool for converting various file types to Markdown format.

Use Cases#

Use this skill when users mention scenarios like "convert file to Markdown," "extract document content," "file to Markdown," or "extract text from PDF/Word/Excel."

Installation#

bash

pip install 'markitdown[all]'

Optional dependency group installations (to save space):

TagDescription[pptx]PowerPoint files[docx]Word files[xlsx]Excel files[xls]Legacy Excel files[pdf]PDF files[outlook]Outlook emails[az-doc-intel]Azure Document Intelligence[audio-transcription]Audio transcription (wav/mp3)[youtube-transcription]YouTube video transcription

Command Line Usage#

bash

# Basic usage: output to stdout
markitdown path-to-file.pdf > document.md

# Specify output file
markitdown path-to-file.pdf -o document.md

# Pipe input
cat path-to-file.pdf | markitdown

# Use Azure Document Intelligence
markitdown path-to-file.pdf -o document.md -d -e "<document_intelligence_endpoint>"

# List installed plugins
markitdown --list-plugins

# Enable plugins
markitdown --use-plugins path-to-file.pdf

Python API Usage#

python

from markitdown import MarkItDown

md = MarkItDown(enable_plugins=False)  # True to enable plugins
result = md.convert("test.xlsx")
print(result.text_content)

With LLM Image Description (Only supports pptx and image files)#

python

from markitdown import MarkItDown
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI()
md = MarkItDown(llm_client=client, llm_model="gpt-4o", llm_prompt="optional custom prompt")
result = md.convert("example.jpg")
print(result.text_content)

With Azure Document Intelligence#

python

from markitdown import MarkItDown

md = MarkItDown(docintel_endpoint="<document_intelligence_endpoint>")
result = md.convert("test.pdf")
print(result.text_content)

Using markitdown-ocr Plugin (OCR for Images Embedded in PDF/DOCX/PPTX/XLSX)#

python

from markitdown import MarkItDown
from openai import OpenAI

md = MarkItDown(
    enable_plugins=True,
    llm_client=OpenAI(),
    llm_model="gpt-4o",
)
result = md.convert("document_with_images.pdf")
print(result.text_content)

Supported Formats Overview#

FormatExtensionsDependency TagPDF.pdf[pdf]PowerPoint.pptx[pptx]Word.docx[docx]Excel.xlsx / .xls[xlsx] / [xls]Images.jpg/.png etc.Built-in (OCR requires [audio-transcription] + LLM)Audio.mp3/.wav[audio-transcription]HTML.htmlBuilt-inCSV/JSON/XML.csv/.json/.xmlBuilt-inZIP.zipBuilt-in (iterates contents)YouTubeURL[youtube-transcription]EPUB.epubBuilt-inOutlook.msg[outlook]

Agent Execution Workflow#

When a user requests file conversion:

1. Confirm Input File: Obtain the file path.

2. Install Dependencies: Check if markitdown is installed and suggest installing corresponding dependencies based on the file type if needed.

3. Execute Conversion:

   • Command line: markitdown <file> -o <output.md>
   • Or Python API.

4. Return Result: Output the Markdown content or the saved file path.

Notes#

• Python 3.10+ is required.
• Using a virtual environment is recommended to avoid dependency conflicts.
• The OCR plugin requires an LLM API Key (e.g., OpenAI).
• Azure Document Intelligence requires an Azure account configuration.