Import documents into mdedit.ai
Use New → Import Document on the documents dashboard to bring an existing document into mdedit.ai. The imported content becomes a new, editable Markdown document in your current folder.
Import handles one document at a time. It does not yet import a folder, ZIP archive, Notion workspace, or Obsidian vault as a collection.
Choose an import method
The Import Document dialog keeps every import path in one place:
- Upload From Computer accepts a file up to 10 MB.
- By URL imports a public HTML or Markdown page, a GitHub file, or a GitHub Gist.
- From Cloud Drive connects to Google Drive or Dropbox. Google Drive supports Google Docs, HTML, and Markdown files. Dropbox imports a directly accessible HTML or Markdown file.
Supported file formats
You can upload:
- Markdown:
.md,.markdown - Plain text:
.txt - Web documents:
.html,.htm - Word and text documents:
.docx,.odt,.rtf - PDF:
.pdf - Presentations:
.pptx - Spreadsheets:
.xlsx,.xls - Ebooks and messages:
.epub,.msg - Technical writing:
.rst,.adoc,.asciidoc - Jupyter notebooks:
.ipynb
Markdown, plain-text, and HTML uploads are processed in your browser. Formats that need conversion are sent through mdedit.ai's conversion service; uploaded conversion files and results are automatically deleted after 30 days.
Move from another writing app
| Source | Recommended route | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Upload the .docx file | Headings, paragraphs, lists, links, and simple tables usually transfer well. Review complex page layouts, comments, and images. |
| Google Docs | Choose From Cloud Drive → Google Drive, or download as .docx and upload it | Google Docs are converted to Markdown. Review document-specific styling and embedded content. |
| Notion | Export the page as Markdown or HTML, then upload the exported document | Import individual pages. ZIP archives, databases, backlinks, and workspace structure are not imported. |
| Obsidian | Upload an individual .md file | Markdown content transfers directly. Vault folders, plugins, backlinks, and attachments are not imported as a collection. |
Upload the .pdf file | Text-based PDFs work best. Multi-column layouts and tables may need cleanup; scanned PDFs should be run through OCR first. | |
| PowerPoint | Upload the .pptx file | Slide text is converted to Markdown. Slide layout, animations, and speaker-note structure may not transfer exactly. |
| Excel | Upload the .xlsx or .xls file | Sheets are converted into Markdown-friendly content. Review wide tables, formulas, charts, and merged cells. |
| Another Markdown editor | Upload .md, .markdown, or .txt | Markdown is imported directly. App-specific metadata, plugins, and linked local assets may need manual work. |
Import a local file
- Open the folder where you want the new document to appear.
- Choose New → Import Document.
- Stay on Upload From Computer.
- Select a file or drag it into the drop area.
- Choose Import.
mdedit.ai converts the file when needed, creates a document in the selected folder, and opens it in the editor.
Import from a URL
- Choose New → Import Document.
- Open By URL.
- Paste a public URL for an HTML or Markdown document, GitHub file, or GitHub Gist.
- Choose Import.
The URL must be reachable without signing in. If a private page cannot be fetched, export it from the source app and upload the file instead.
Import from Google Drive or Dropbox
- Choose New → Import Document.
- Open From Cloud Drive.
- Choose Google Drive or Dropbox and select a supported document.
- Complete the provider's authorization prompt if one appears.
Cloud-drive imports create a copy in mdedit.ai. Later changes in the source document do not automatically sync into the imported document.
Review the result
Markdown represents document structure rather than page layout. After importing, check:
- headings and nested lists
- tables and code blocks
- links and images
- footnotes, comments, and tracked changes
- page-specific formatting such as columns, text boxes, and slide positioning
If the result is empty, confirm that the source contains selectable text. If the layout is unusually complex, exporting the source as HTML or DOCX before importing can produce a cleaner result.
For one-off conversion without creating a document, use the public Markdown converters (opens in a new tab). For export formats after editing, see File exports.
Last reviewed