PDF to Markdown

The PDF to Markdown API (included with the PDF Services API) is a cloud-based web service that automatically converts PDF documents – native or scanned – into well-formatted LLM-friendly Markdown text. This service preserves the document's structure and formatting while converting it into a format that's widely used for LLM flows, content authoring and documentation.

Structured Information Output Format

The output of a PDF to Markdown operation includes:

• A primary .md file containing the converted Markdown content

Output Structure

The following is a summary of key elements in the converted Markdown:

Elements

Ordered list of semantic elements converted from the PDF document, preserving the natural reading order and document structure. The conversion handles:

• Text content with proper Markdown syntax
• Document hierarchy and structure
• Inline formatting and emphasis
• Links and references
• Images and figures
• Tables and complex layouts

Content Types

The API processes various content types as follows:

Text Elements

• Headings: Converted to appropriate Markdown heading levels (H1-H6)
• Paragraphs: Preserved with proper spacing and formatting
• Lists: Both ordered and unordered lists with proper nesting
• Text Emphasis: Bold, italic, and other text formatting
• Links: Preserved with proper Markdown link syntax

Images and Figures

• Provided as base64-embedded images in the Markdown output
• Referenced correctly in the Markdown output
• Original quality preserved
• Proper alt-text and captions maintained

Tables

• Converted to Markdown table syntax
• Column alignment preserved
• Cell content formatting maintained
• Complex table structures supported

Element Types and Paths

The API recognizes and converts the following structural elements:

Reading Order

The reading order in the output Markdown maintains:

• Natural document flow
• Proper content hierarchy
• Column-based layouts
• Page transitions
• Inline elements and references

Use Cases

The PDF to Markdown API is particularly valuable for:

• LLM and RAG ingestion: Convert PDFs to Markdown for chunking, embeddings, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
• Prompt and context packaging: Produce Markdown that is easy to paste, structure, and cite in prompts and agent workflows.
• Training data preparation: Create LLM fine-tuning datasets from PDF content after review, cleanup, and labeling.
• Doc-as-code workflows: Bring PDF content into Git-based review, versioning, diffing, and static-site generators.
• Knowledge base publishing: Migrate PDFs into documentation platforms and internal wikis as clean, editable Markdown.
• Legacy and archive modernization: Convert historical PDFs so they become searchable, editable, and maintainable.
• Automated document processing: Standardize PDF-to-text conversion inside ETL and document-processing pipelines.
• Enterprise search and indexing: Feed converted Markdown into internal search systems and knowledge repositories.
• Compliance and audit readiness: Make PDF policies, SOPs, and manuals searchable and easier to review for changes.
• Content QA and change tracking: Compare converted Markdown across document versions to detect updates and regressions.
• Analytics and classification: Use Markdown output for topic modeling, tagging, deduplication, and routing workflows.
• Localization workflows: Convert to Markdown as a starting point for translation and multi-language documentation.

API Limitations

For File Constraints and Processing Limits, see Licensing and Usage Limits.

Document Requirements

• Files must be unprotected or allow content copying

• No support for:

  • Hidden objects (JavaScript, OCG)
  • XFA and fillable forms
  • Complex annotations
  • CAD drawings or vector art
  • Password-protected content

REST API

See our public API Reference for PDF to Markdown API.