Convert to Markdown
Convert various file formats to Markdown using markitdown MCP, optimized for AI readability.
Arguments
- •
files: Input files or directories to convert (required)
Options
- •
--recursive,-r: Process subdirectories recursively - •
--filter <types>: Filter by file types (e.g., pdf,docx,xlsx) - •
--combine,-c: Combine multiple files into one markdown file - •
--toc: Generate table of contents - •
--metadata,-m: Include file metadata in output - •
--ai-optimize: Optimize output for AI reading - •
--output,-o <path>: Specify output directory or file - •
--verbose,-v: Show detailed progress
Examples
bash
# Convert single file /convert-to-md document.pdf # Convert multiple files with AI optimization /convert-to-md --ai-optimize file1.docx file2.xlsx # Recursively convert directory with filtering /convert-to-md --recursive --filter pdf,docx ./documents # Combine files into one markdown with TOC /convert-to-md --combine --toc *.pdf -o combined.md
Workflow
- •Parse arguments and validate input files
- •Get file list based on patterns and filters
- •For each file:
- •Call
mcp__markitdown__convert_to_markdownwith file URI - •Apply AI optimization if enabled
- •Save to output location
- •Call
- •If
--combine, merge all outputs with optional TOC - •Report summary (successful/failed counts)
AI Optimization Features
When --ai-optimize is enabled:
- •Add file context headers (filename, original format)
- •Add structure hints (headers, code blocks, tables)
- •Clean up excessive whitespace
- •Add reading notes for long documents