Core Conversion Rules and Formulas

The converter follows predictable mappings between HTML elements and their Markdown equivalents. At a high level, you can think of the conversion as a structured transformation from tagged text to plain text with lightweight markers.

In abstract form, the logic for a single HTML node can be described as:

Here, w is any Markdown wrapper or prefix for the current element (such as # for a heading or * for emphasis), M(children) is the concatenated Markdown representation of the node’s children, and a is any closing marker or trailing whitespace. This simple pattern applies repeatedly as the converter walks the HTML tree.

Some of the most important mappings include:

• Headings:

  to

  become hash-prefixed lines.

• Paragraphs:

  becomes a plain text block separated by blank lines.

• Links: text becomes [text](URL).
• Lists:
  ,
  , and
  1. turn into bullet or numbered lists.
  2. Emphasis: , , , and map to *italic* or **bold**.
  3. Code: and

      become inline code or fenced code blocks.

  Example HTML to Markdown Conversions

  The following before-and-after examples show how typical HTML structures are converted to Markdown.

  Headings and Paragraphs

  Project Overview
  This release focuses on stability improvements and documentation.

  Becomes:

  # Project Overview
  
  This release focuses on stability improvements and documentation.

  Links and Emphasis

  See the changelog for detailed updates.

  Becomes:

  See the [changelog](https://example.com/changelog) for **detailed** updates.

  Lists

  
    
  Install dependencies
    
  Run tests
    
  Deploy to staging
  

  Becomes:

  - Install dependencies
  - Run tests
  - Deploy to staging

  Interpreting the Markdown Output

  Once you get the Markdown output, you can treat it as the source of truth for your content. A few things to check:

  • Heading levels: Confirm that major sections use # or ## appropriately and that nested headings reflect the structure you want.
  • List structure: Ensure nested lists have the correct indentation and bullet or numbering style expected by your Markdown renderer (for example, GitHub, GitLab, or a wiki system).
  • Links and images: Verify that URLs and alt text are present and correctly placed inside []() syntax.
  • Code blocks: Check that multi-line code is wrapped in triple backticks and that inline snippets use single backticks.

  Small visual differences between editors (for example, how they render lists or line breaks) are normal. If something looks off, you can make minor manual adjustments to the Markdown instead of editing verbose HTML.

  Worked Example: From HTML Snippet to Markdown Notes

  Imagine you have a short HTML fragment copied from a CMS that looks like this:

  Setup Steps
  Follow these steps to configure your environment.
  
    
  Clone the repository from this URL.
    
  Install dependencies with npm install.
    
  Run npm test before committing changes.
  

  When you paste this into the converter and click Convert, you might get Markdown similar to:

  ## Setup Steps
  
  Follow these steps to configure your environment.
  
  1. Clone the repository from [this URL](https://example.com/repo).
  2. Install dependencies with `npm install`.
  3. Run `npm test` before committing changes.

  You can now paste that Markdown into your documentation or issue tracker. The structure is easy to read in plain text and will render cleanly wherever Markdown is supported.

  Comparison: Editing HTML vs. Converting to Markdown

  The table below compares working directly in HTML with converting to Markdown and editing the result.

  Aspect	Editing Raw HTML	Converting to Markdown
  Readability in plain text	Cluttered with tags and attributes.	Clean, mostly content with a few symbols.
  Speed of simple edits	Slower; easy to break tags or nesting.	Faster; headings, lists, and links are easy to adjust.
  Version control diffs	Diffs include structural noise from tags.	Diffs focus on content changes.
  Tool compatibility	Best suited for web templates and CMS views.	Ideal for wikis, README files, and static site content.
  Learning curve	Requires comfort with HTML syntax.	Lightweight syntax that many non-developers can use.

  Common Use Cases

  • Cleaning up CMS exports: When a CMS provides only HTML output, convert it to Markdown for use in repositories or documentation sites.
  • Capturing web content as notes: Copy part of a web page, convert it, and store it as Markdown notes in your preferred editor.
  • Aligning with Markdown-based workflows: If your team uses Markdown for READMEs, runbooks, or internal knowledge bases, conversion avoids hand-editing HTML.
  • Normalizing content: Use the converter to normalize formatting when content has been copied through several tools and picked up extra tags.

  Limitations and Assumptions

  While the converter handles common HTML structures well, it makes some assumptions and has practical limits:

  • Complex tables: Basic tables can often be represented in Markdown, but very complex tables with row spans, column spans, or nested tables may not convert perfectly and might require manual touch-ups.
  • Inline styles and classes: Inline CSS and class names are usually ignored because Markdown focuses on content and structure, not presentation.
  • Deeply nested layouts: HTML that relies heavily on nested
    and elements without clear semantics may flatten into simpler text, losing some visual layout cues.
  • Scripts and iframes: Embedded scripts, widgets, and iframes are generally not converted to functional Markdown equivalents. The tool focuses on textual content rather than interactive elements.
  • Size and performance: Very large HTML documents can still be converted, but performance depends on your browser and device. If you experience slowness, try converting one section at a time.
  • Renderer differences: Different Markdown engines may handle edge cases like line breaks and nested lists slightly differently. The output aims for widely compatible syntax but cannot match every renderer exactly.

  These limitations are normal for HTML to Markdown conversion. The tool is optimized for practical documentation, notes, and knowledge base content rather than pixel-perfect reproduction of complex page layouts.

  Privacy and Local Processing

  The converter runs entirely in your browser. The HTML you paste is not uploaded to a remote server. This makes the tool suitable for sensitive internal documentation, draft content, or code snippets that you would prefer to keep on your own device.

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Does my HTML ever leave my browser?

  No. The conversion logic runs on the client side. Your HTML is processed in your browser tab and is not sent to a server as part of the conversion.

  What kinds of HTML does this work best with?

  The converter works best with well-structured HTML that uses headings, paragraphs, lists, and links. It is especially effective for articles, documentation pages, blog posts, and similar content-focused HTML.

  Will links, headings, and lists be preserved?

  Yes. Standard headings are mapped to hash-prefixed Markdown headings, lists become bulleted or numbered lists, and links are converted to [text](url) format. You should still skim the output to ensure everything looks as you expect.

  Can I use the Markdown in wikis or documentation tools?

  In most cases, yes. The output is plain Markdown intended to be compatible with many systems, including popular wikis, issue trackers, and code hosting platforms. Some tools use small Markdown variations, so you may occasionally make minor edits.

  What if something does not convert correctly?

  If you see output that is not quite right, you can either tweak the generated Markdown or simplify the original HTML before converting again. Complex layouts may not have a one-to-one Markdown representation, so small manual adjustments are sometimes necessary.