# Convert documents to Markdown

A Markdown file for each document in a folder you pick, converted again when it changes.

[Download for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/exporter-notes-to-markdown/id6741618455?mt=12)

## What it reads

- Word and text: `.doc`, `.docx`, `.docm`, OpenDocument `.odt` and `.rtf`.
- Slides: PowerPoint `.ppt`, `.pptx` and their show and template variants, and OpenDocument `.odp`.
- Spreadsheets: Excel `.xls`, `.xlsx`, `.xlsm`, `.xlsb`, OpenDocument `.ods` and `.csv`.
- PDF and EPUB: PDFs, with scanned pages read by Apple's own text recognition, and `.epub` books.
- Same folder shape: Each output sits where its document sits in your folder.
- Markdown, HTML or both: Tick Markdown, HTML or both on the Documents card, the only one that writes both in one sync. With both, `report.md` and `report.html` sit side by side, and the pair counts as one document against the free allowance. The HTML is plain, with no styling.
- Nothing uploaded: Conversion runs on your Mac. No document and no scanned page is sent anywhere.

## How it works

1. Pick a folder: Choose the folder of documents, and an export folder for the Markdown outside it.
2. Convert: Sync the whole folder, or convert one document from the list with the button at the end of its row.
3. It keeps up: A document whose Markdown is already newer than it is skipped without being opened, so a big folder stays fast.

How it works: [Documents docs](https://exporter.dev/docs/documents) · Guides: [Documents in Claude](https://exporter.dev/guides/documents/documents-in-claude)

## Questions

### Is there a free way to do this?

Yes. pandoc is free and open source, runs in Terminal, and converts Word, OpenDocument and EPUB files to Markdown one command at a time. Exporter is for a whole folder that stays converted, PDFs and scans included, without a command per file.

### What is free?

Your 10 most recently modified documents convert free. Unlocking Documents is a one-time purchase in Exporter.

### Does it read Pages, Numbers or Keynote files?

No. Export those from their own apps to Word, Excel or PowerPoint, or PDF, and Exporter converts the result.

## Hand your documents to Claude

The converted Markdown sits in an export folder like every other app's, readable by Claude over Exporter's local MCP server. [Set it up](https://exporter.dev/docs/mcp).

Connect Claude Code. Claude can then list and read your contracts, slides and papers as Markdown.

```sh
claude mcp add --transport http exporter http://localhost:8744/mcp
```

## Related

- [Documents in Claude](https://exporter.dev/guides/documents/documents-in-claude): A folder of documents Claude can read
- [CLI](https://exporter.dev/docs/cli): Every command, flag and exit code

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human version: https://exporter.dev/documents
every page: https://exporter.dev/llms.txt