What happens when you convert ODT to MD
- The ODT is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and saved as DOCX, and pandoc, the open-source document converter, turns that into GitHub-flavoured Markdown.
- Headings become # lines, bulleted and numbered lists become - and 1. items, and tables, links, bold and italic keep their Markdown form. Only headings that use heading styles become # headings; text that was simply made big and bold stays a paragraph.
- Images are left out, and so is layout: fonts, colours, columns, headers, footers and page numbers have no place in Markdown.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert ODT to MD online
- Press "Choose ODT files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to MD". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each MD with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your ODT and the MD by then.
Why convert ODT to MD?
ODT files usually come from LibreOffice users and public-sector documents. People convert them to MD because Markdown is readable as it is and fits wikis, documentation sites and note apps such as Obsidian.
In short, ODT is good at what it was made for, and MD is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. ODT opens in LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs and Word, while MD shows as plain text in browsers; editors such as Obsidian, Typora and VS Code render it.
How to convert ODT to MD on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your ODT files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each MD is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the ODT files from Finder onto the drop zone and the MD files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose ODT files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted MD appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose ODT files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The MD is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for ODT to MD
There are no settings: the output is GitHub-flavoured Markdown, which GitHub, GitLab, Obsidian, VS Code and most static site generators read.
For the cleanest result, use Word's built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2) in the ODT before converting, because those are what become Markdown headings.
ODT vs MD: the differences
| ODT | MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | OpenDocument text | Markdown |
| Type | word-processing document | document |
| Created by | OASIS | John Gruber |
| First released | 2005 | 2004 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files | plain text with simple symbols for headings, lists, links and emphasis |
| In a browser | opens in LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs and Word | shows as plain text in browsers; editors such as Obsidian, Typora and VS Code render it |
| Common uses | LibreOffice users and public-sector documents | documentation, README files, notes and blogging tools |
| MIME type | application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text | text/markdown |
About ODT and MD files
What is an ODT file?
ODT is the open standard word-processing format and the default in LibreOffice Writer. Several governments require it for documents they publish.
What is an MD file?
Markdown marks formatting with plain characters: # for headings, * for lists and emphasis. It reads naturally as text and converts cleanly to HTML, which is why developers and note apps use it.
ODT to MD not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The file will not convert. It may be password protected, damaged, or saved in a newer or unusual version of the format.
Convert ODT to MD from the command line
LibreOffice and pandoc do the same on your own computer:
soffice --headless --convert-to docx input.odt
pandoc input.docx -t gfm -o output.mdConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
ODT to MD converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting ODT to MD?
The words and their structure are kept exactly: headings, lists, tables and links. Images, fonts and page layout are not, because Markdown has no place for them.
Why is the MD a different size from the ODT?
Much smaller than the ODT: Markdown is plain text, without images, fonts or formatting data.
Are my ODT files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful ODT to MD conversion needs LibreOffice and pandoc, two open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the MD as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several ODT files to MD at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an MD file?
MD shows as plain text in browsers; editors such as Obsidian, Typora and VS Code render it. MD is common for documentation, README files, notes and blogging tools.
Is this ODT to MD converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert ODT to MD on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the MD is saved to your Downloads folder.