Convert Markdown to text and strip formatting
Paste your markdown into the left textarea, toggle list or link options, and see a clean, plain text version appear instantly in the right.
Runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
Input characters
Output characters
How to use the Markdown to text converter
- Type or paste your markdown into the textarea labeled 'Markdown' on the left.
- Optionally check 'Keep list markers' or 'Keep link URLs' to preserve list symbols or show link addresses.
- The plain text will appear instantly in the right textarea, with its character count shown in the tip below.
- Use the 'Copy' button to copy the text, the 'Download .txt' button to save it as plain text, or the 'Clear' button to reset the inputs.
What markdown elements are removed or kept?
The converter strips markdown syntax from headings, emphasis, and horizontal rules, while preserving the inner content. For example, # Hello **world** becomes Hello world. Headings written with # or underlines become plain text; emphasis markers like *, _, and ~~ are removed. Inline code backticks drop their delimiters but keep the code; fenced code blocks keep only the code inside the fences.
How does the tool handle links and images?
Link text and image alt text are preserved, while the URLs or file paths are removed by default. For example,  becomes A cat. If the 'Keep link URLs' option is enabled, [Docs](https://x.com) becomes Docs (https://x.com). Text in square brackets without a link target, such as [Docs], is left exactly as written. Images keep only the alt text, so no file names appear.
What about lists, tables and blockquotes?
Ordered and unordered lists are stripped of their markers unless the 'Keep list markers' option is checked. A simple list like - a\n* b\n1. one\n2. two becomes a\nb\none\ntwo by default. Tables are converted to tab‑separated values; for instance, | a | b |\n|---|---|\n| 1 | 2 | turns into a\tb\n1\t2. Blockquotes lose the > symbols and are left as plain lines.
Frequently asked questions
How fast does the conversion happen?
The conversion runs entirely in your browser and updates as you type, a fraction of a second after you pause. Nothing is sent over the network, so even long documents convert almost instantly.
Does the tool preserve line breaks?
The tool reduces any sequence of three or more consecutive newline characters to exactly two newlines, and it trims whitespace from the beginning and end of the result. This keeps paragraph breaks while removing superfluous empty lines.
Can I keep the URLs for links?
Yes. By default link URLs are omitted to keep the text concise. If you need the URLs, tick the 'Keep link URLs' checkbox next to the 'Markdown' textarea. Then [Docs](https://x.com) turns into Docs (https://x.com).
How are images handled?
Images use the alt attribute. The converter keeps only the alt text and discards the file name and surrounding ![]. For example,  becomes A cat. The filename cat.png is never shown.
What about tables?
Tables are converted to plain tab‑separated values. The separator row is removed and outer pipes are dropped. For example, | a | b |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | becomes a\tb\n1\t2. The result is readable in plain‑text editors or spreadsheets.