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Markdown to plain text

Got text with Markdown formatting, such as **bold**, # headings and [links](...), and want plain text to paste into an email, message or document? This tool strips the Markdown characters and leaves the content neatly in place. Paste your Markdown and the plain text appears as you type.

How it works

  1. Paste your text

    Type or paste the text in the left box, or open a .txt file. No text to hand? Click Example.

  2. Instant result

    The result appears as you type. Change the options and see straight away what changes.

  3. Copy or download

    Copy the result with one click, save it as a file or use it as input for a next step.

How does it work?

The tool reads your Markdown the way a Markdown program does and writes out only the text:

  • Headings (#, ##) become ordinary lines; the main title can optionally be in capitals.
  • Bold, italic, strikethrough and code lose their **, *, ~~ and backticks.
  • Links become just the link text, or optionally the text with the address in brackets.
  • Lists get a • or a number, also when nested.
  • Tables become lines with tabs between the cells.
  • Code blocks stay exactly as they are, without the fences.

An example

The Example button fills in this Markdown:

# Welcome

This is **bold**, *italic* and a [link](https://online-tool.ing).

- First point
- Second point
  1. Nested

> A quote

| Name | Price |
|------|-------|
| Apple | £0.45 |

followed by a fenced code block that contains the line code stays as it is. You get this text, with the nested item indented four spaces:

Welcome

This is bold, italic and a link.

• First point
• Second point
    1. Nested

A quote

Name    Price
Apple   £0.45

code stays as it is

The three options are Bullets (•, 1.) for lists, Link addresses in brackets after it and Main title (#) in CAPITALS. With the last one on, # Welcome becomes WELCOME; only the # title is affected, not the lower headings.

When is it useful?

  • Pasting text from ChatGPT, GitHub or Notion into an email or Word without stray asterisks and hashes.
  • Turning a README or note into plain text for a form or a text message.
  • Getting the text out of Markdown to count it with the character counter or translate it.

Need the other direction?

To turn formatted text into Markdown, use Text to Markdown. For HTML code there is Markdown to HTML, and HTML to text strips tags from a web page's source.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to tables?

Each row becomes a line, with a tab between the cells, so you can paste the result into a spreadsheet and it lands in separate columns. The line with `---` under the header is dropped.

What happens to images and raw HTML?

An image `![alt text](img.png)` is replaced by its alt text. HTML tags typed inside the Markdown, such as `<b>html</b>`, are removed and their text is kept.

How do I keep the link addresses?

Tick *Link addresses in brackets after it*. `[the docs](https://example.com/docs)` then becomes `the docs (https://example.com/docs)` instead of just `the docs`. Useful in a plain-text email, where nobody can click a link.

Can I get rid of the bullets as well?

Yes. Untick *Bullets (•, 1.) for lists* and every list item becomes a bare line, without a bullet or a number. Nested items keep their indent.

Is my text uploaded?

No. The Markdown is read and converted in your browser, so drafts and notes stay on your device.