| name | MarkItDown Read |
| description | Use when reading, summarizing, or extracting from non-plain-text files — PDF, Office docs (Word/Excel/PowerPoint), images, audio, HTML, EPUB, archives, and structured data (CSV/JSON/XML). Converts via the markitdown CLI. |
MarkItDown Read
Convert non-plain-text files to Markdown for reading and analysis using Microsoft's markitdown CLI.
Supported Formats
| Category | Extensions |
|---|
| Documents | .pdf, .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, .xls |
| Web | .html, .htm |
| Images | .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .tiff, .webp |
| Audio | .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .ogg, .flac |
| Data | .csv, .json, .xml |
| Other | .epub, .zip |
Workflow
Step 1: Check Installation
Before converting, verify markitdown is available:
command -v markitdown
If not installed, inform the user and offer installation options:
- Recommended:
uv tool install 'markitdown[all]' (isolated install, no virtual env pollution)
- Alternative:
pip install 'markitdown[all]'
Ask the user which method they prefer before installing. Do NOT install without confirmation.
Step 2: Convert and Read
Run markitdown on the target file and capture stdout:
markitdown <file-path>
The output is Markdown text printed to stdout. Read the output directly — do not save to a file unless the user explicitly asks.
Step 3: Present Content
After conversion, work with the Markdown output as if the file had been read natively:
- Answer questions about the content
- Summarize, extract, or analyze as requested
- Reference specific sections, tables, or data points
Important Notes
- For large files, the output may be extensive. Summarize first, then dive into specifics if asked.
- Image conversion requires OCR capabilities — results depend on image quality and content.
- Audio conversion requires speech recognition — results may vary by audio quality.
- If
markitdown fails on a specific file, report the error and suggest alternative approaches.
- When the user asks to "read" or "open" a supported file type, prefer this skill over the Read tool for binary formats (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, images, audio, EPUB, ZIP). For plain-text formats (HTML, CSV, JSON, XML), use this skill only when the user specifically wants Markdown conversion or when the Read tool output is insufficient.
