Hack the Hydra

PDF to Markdown for Obsidian

PDFs in your vault are dead ends: you cannot link to a paragraph or search them well. Markdown notes can be linked, tagged and edited.

🔒 Private by design: the conversion runs in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded.

PDF to Markdown for Obsidian is a free online tool by Hack the Hydra. Convert PDFs into Markdown notes for Obsidian: searchable, linkable, editable. Free and private, runs in your browser.

100% freeNo upload: runs in your browserNo sign-up

Import workflow

Convert, click Download, and move the .md file into your vault. Headings become the note outline, so the Outline pane and heading links ([[note#Heading]]) work immediately.

Keep the original

Keep the PDF next to the note and link it at the top (![[paper.pdf]]) so you can check figures and layout when needed.

How to use

  1. Drop your file in the box above, or click to pick it.
  2. Wait a few seconds while it converts locally.
  3. Copy the result or download it.

FAQ

Will images come through?

No, only text. Keep the PDF linked in the note for figures.

Is this private?

Yes. Your PDF is processed locally in the browser, like your vault.

Bulk conversion API

Need hundreds of PDFs, scanned PDFs (OCR) or real Markdown tables? Use the API: $3 per 1,000 PDFs, failed files free. Open the API →

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/extas_corp~pdf-to-markdown/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"pdfUrls":[{"url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.03762"}]}'

Use it via API, with a free plan: Document to Markdown API (RapidAPI) · Apify

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