Convert Markdown to Plain Text (TXT)
To convert Markdown to plain text, upload your .md file and choose TXT. A .md file is already text, but it is full of syntax: # before headings, ** around bold words, [text](url) links and | table pipes. The converter renders the Markdown first and keeps only the readable text in a UTF-8 file; list items and table rows stay readable, and code blocks keep their line breaks.
- Free, no sign-up
- Files deleted within 30 minutes
- Up to 100 MB
Files are permanently deleted from our servers within 30 minutes.
How to convert Markdown to TXT
Upload your Markdown file
Drag your Markdown file onto the upload area or browse for it (up to 100 MB).
Keep TXT as the target
TXT is already selected in the menu; you can pick another format if you need one.
Convert and download
Press “Convert” and the download of the converted file starts automatically.
What is preserved?
Kept
- All text, in paragraph order
- List items, with • or numbers
- Table rows, with tab-separated cells
- Code blocks, with line breaks and indentation
- Unicode characters (UTF-8)
Changed
- Task-list checkboxes become ☑ and ☐ characters
Not carried over
- Heading, bold and italic formatting
- Link URLs (only the link text is kept)
- Images
When to use it
Clean copy for emails and forms
When you paste an announcement or description written in Markdown into a plain-text email or a web form, the TXT output gives you clean text without stray asterisks, hash signs or bracketed URLs.
Accurate word and character counts
Application forms, abstracts and social posts often have word or character limits. Converting to plain text first keeps Markdown symbols and link addresses out of the count, so the number you see is the real one.
Limitations to know
- Converting the TXT back to Markdown will not restore headings and emphasis automatically.
About the formats
What is Markdown (MD)?
Markdown is a lightweight markup language designed by John Gruber in 2004. Formatting is written as simple symbols inside plain text: # for headings, ** for bold, - for list items and | for tables. Markdown (.md) files are everywhere in GitHub READMEs, technical documentation, note-taking apps and AI assistant output. The most widely used flavour is GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM), which adds tables, task lists and strikethrough.
What is TXT?
A TXT file contains characters only, with no formatting, images or page layout information. It opens in every program from Notepad to code editors and is the smallest and most portable kind of document. Whether accented and non-Latin characters display correctly depends on the character encoding; UTF-8, today's standard, handles virtually every language. Plain text is ideal for searching, archiving and moving content between systems.
Frequently asked questions
Markdown is already text, so why convert it to TXT?
A .md file is plain text, but it contains syntax: # before headings, ** around emphasis, brackets and URLs for links, and pipes for tables. Converting to TXT removes that syntax and leaves only what a person would read, ready for an email, a form or a word count.
What happens to Markdown tables in plain text?
Each table row goes on its own line and cells are separated by tab characters; the pipes and dashes disappear. Because of the tabs, pasting the text into Excel or Google Sheets usually drops each cell into the right column.
What happens to links when Markdown becomes plain text?
Only the visible link text is kept; the URL in the parentheses is removed. That keeps the text clean for reading and counting. If you need the addresses, convert to HTML or keep the original .md file, where the links remain intact.
Is converting Markdown to TXT free?
Yes, completely free. There is no account, subscription or watermark — just upload your file and convert it.
Is my file safe and when is it deleted?
Your file is transferred over HTTPS and stored on our server under a random code. The upload and the output are permanently deleted within 30 minutes, and the download link only works for whoever holds your unique code.