HTML to Markdown Converter

Transform your HTML code into clean, readable Markdown syntax. This free online converter supports headings, paragraphs, links, images, lists, bold, italic, code blocks, blockquotes, and tables. Perfect for migrating content to Markdown-based platforms like GitHub, Jekyll, Hugo, or any static site generator.

HTML Input

Markdown Output

How to Use the HTML to Markdown Converter

Paste your HTML code into the left input panel labeled "HTML Input"
Click the "Convert to Markdown" button to transform your HTML into Markdown syntax
Review the converted Markdown in the right output panel
Click "Copy Markdown" to copy the result to your clipboard
Use "Load Sample" to see an example of how the conversion works
Click "Clear All" to reset both panels and start fresh

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It allows you to write formatted content using plain text syntax that is easy to read and write. Unlike HTML, which uses angle brackets and verbose tags, Markdown uses simple punctuation characters to indicate formatting. For example, wrapping text in asterisks makes it bold, and using hash symbols creates headings. Markdown has become the standard for documentation on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Stack Overflow, Reddit, and many content management systems. It is particularly popular among developers because it can be written in any text editor and is easily converted to HTML for web display.

HTML to Markdown Conversion Rules

This converter applies the following transformation rules to convert HTML elements to their Markdown equivalents:

<h1> to <h6> become # Heading through ###### Heading
<p> paragraphs become plain text with blank lines between them
<strong> and <b> become **bold text**
<em> and <i> become *italic text*
<a href="url"> becomes [link text](url)
<img src="url" alt="text"> becomes ![alt text](url)
<ul> and <li> become - list items
<ol> and <li> become 1. numbered items
<code> becomes `inline code`
<pre> becomes fenced code blocks with triple backticks
<blockquote> becomes > quoted text
<hr> becomes --- horizontal rule
<br> becomes two trailing spaces followed by a newline

Why Convert HTML to Markdown?

Converting HTML to Markdown offers several advantages for content creators and developers. Markdown files are more portable and can be easily edited in any text editor without specialized tools. They are also more human-readable, making content easier to maintain and review. Many modern documentation systems, blogs, and static site generators use Markdown as their primary content format. By converting existing HTML content to Markdown, you can migrate your content to these platforms while maintaining proper formatting. Additionally, Markdown files are typically smaller than their HTML equivalents and work seamlessly with version control systems like Git, where you can easily track changes to your content over time.

Supported HTML Elements

This converter handles most common HTML elements including headings (h1-h6), paragraphs, emphasis tags (strong, b, em, i), links, images, unordered and ordered lists, code elements, preformatted text, blockquotes, horizontal rules, line breaks, and basic table structures. Nested elements are processed recursively to maintain proper formatting hierarchy. Unsupported or custom HTML elements will have their inner text content preserved while the tags themselves are removed.