Guides
Markdown guide
Why Markdown works well with AI, and which tools to use for editing, converting and sharing Markdown files.
Why Markdown works better with AI
When you work with AI, the format of your files matters more than you might expect.
Formats like Word and PDF carry hidden structure — fonts, layout data, formatting code — that AI has to work around. This wastes some of the AI's attention and can reduce accuracy. On a free plan, where there are limits on how much you can send to the AI at once, this matters even more.
Markdown is different. It is plain text with a few simple symbols for structure: a # makes a heading, a - makes a bullet, **bold** makes bold text. There is no hidden formatting. The AI reads it cleanly and efficiently.
This toolkit uses Markdown for its prompt libraries for exactly this reason.
What this means in practice
When using AI: The AI will often produce its outputs in Markdown. Rather than copying text into Word manually, you can save the output as a .md file and open it in one of the tools below — then convert it to Word or PDF in a couple of clicks.
When sharing documents with AI: If you want the AI to read and analyse a document, converting it to Markdown first can improve results. A plain .md or .txt version of a Word or PDF file is cleaner and more compact for the AI to work with. The editors below make this conversion straightforward.
Recommended tools
Choose the tool that fits your situation. For any confidential, student, client or workplace material, use a local tool — not an online editor.
LibreOffice Writer — Best for most users
Free, open source, works offline. Opens and saves .md files, and can export to Word or PDF. Best option if privacy matters or you are working with sensitive material. Available for Windows and Mac.
Zettlr — Best dedicated Markdown editor
Free, open source, local. Designed for writing and longer documents. Good preview and export options. No forced cloud sync — files stay on your computer.
Google Docs — Easiest cloud option
Can import, edit and export Markdown. Straightforward conversion to Word or PDF. Useful if you already work in Google Workspace and need to collaborate.
⚠️ Privacy note: files are uploaded to Google Drive. Do not use for confidential, student, assessment or client material unless your organisation has approved Google Workspace for that purpose.
Writage — For Microsoft Word users
A paid plugin that adds Markdown support to Word. Lets you open, edit and save .md files inside Word, and convert between Markdown and .docx. Good choice if Word is already your main tool.
⚠️ Privacy follows your Word setup — if documents sync to OneDrive or SharePoint, cloud-storage rules apply.
Dillinger — Quick online preview only
A free online Markdown editor with live preview. Useful for a quick check of how Markdown will look.
⚠️ Online tool — do not use for confidential or sensitive material.
A simple working pattern
- Keep your original
.mdfile. - Edit it in a trusted local tool.
- Save the Markdown version.
- Export a Word or PDF copy when you need to submit or share it.
What does Markdown look like?
| What you want | Markdown |
|---|---|
| Heading | # Heading |
| Smaller heading | ## Smaller heading |
| Bullet | - item |
| Bold | **bold** |
| Link | [text](https://example.com) |