UtilityKit

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Strip Markdown

Remove Markdown syntax and keep readable plain text.

About Strip Markdown

Markdown syntax — asterisks for bold, hashes for headings, brackets for links, backticks for code — is invisible when rendered but ugly when pasted into a plain-text context. Copying from a Markdown file into an email, a plain-text field, a presentation slide, or a system that does not render Markdown leaves the raw symbols cluttering the text. Strip Markdown removes all Markdown formatting syntax and returns clean, human-readable plain text. It handles all standard CommonMark elements: headings (#), emphasis (* and _), bold (** and __), inline code (`), fenced code blocks (```), links ([text](url)), images (![alt](url)), blockquotes (>), horizontal rules, and ordered and unordered list markers. The underlying text content is preserved while all syntax scaffolding is removed.

Why use Strip Markdown

All CommonMark Syntax Removed

Headings, bold, italic, links, images, code fences, blockquotes, and list markers are all stripped.

Link URL Removal

Strips both the link text brackets and the URL parentheses, keeping only the display text.

Image Tag Removal

Removes image syntax ![alt](url) entirely or optionally keeps the alt text as plain text.

Code Block Content Preservation

Removes the fence delimiters (```) while optionally preserving the code content inside.

Instant Real-Time Stripping

Output updates as you type — no button click needed, and no page reload.

Email & Presentation Ready

Ideal for pasting Markdown content into email clients, slide editors, or any system that does not render Markdown.

How to use Strip Markdown

  1. Paste your Markdown-formatted text into the input area.
  2. The plain text output appears instantly with all syntax removed.
  3. Toggle 'Preserve line breaks' to keep blank lines between paragraphs.
  4. Toggle 'Strip code block fences' to remove ``` delimiters and keep only the code text.
  5. Review the output to verify all intended formatting was stripped.
  6. Click Copy to copy the clean plain text to your clipboard.

When to use Strip Markdown

  • When copying content from a Markdown README to paste into an email without the raw syntax showing.
  • When extracting plain text from Markdown documentation for import into a translation tool.
  • When pasting Markdown-formatted notes into a plain-text field in a CRM or ticket system.
  • When preparing Markdown blog content for indexing by an NLP or search system that expects plain text.
  • When cleaning up Markdown exported from a note-taking app like Obsidian or Notion before sharing.
  • When converting Markdown to plain text for accessibility tools like screen readers that do not render formatting.

Examples

Bold and heading removal

Input: # My Title **Important:** This is *emphasized* text.

Output: My Title Important: This is emphasized text.

Link stripping

Input: Visit [UtilityKit](https://utilitykit.tools) for free tools.

Output: Visit UtilityKit for free tools.

List and code removal

Input: Steps: - First step - Second step Run `npm install`.

Output: Steps: First step Second step Run npm install.

Tips

  • After stripping, run the output through Word Counter to verify sentence and paragraph structure looks correct before pasting into a new context.
  • If your Markdown contains HTML blocks, run Strip HTML after Strip Markdown to ensure all markup is removed.
  • For translation workflows, strip Markdown first so the translation tool receives clean sentences without being confused by syntax brackets.
  • Preserve alt text from images when stripping Markdown for accessibility documents — alt text provides important context for images.
  • When copying from Obsidian or Notion markdown exports, the output may have frontmatter YAML — check the start of the stripped output and delete any YAML key-value pairs manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it preserve the actual text content within bold and italic markers?▾
Yes. The ** and * symbols are removed but the wrapped text is kept. '**important**' becomes 'important' in the output.
What happens to link URLs?▾
The [display text](url) syntax is reduced to just 'display text' — the URL is stripped. If you want to preserve URLs, copy them before stripping.
What happens to Markdown images?▾
![alt text](image-url) is removed entirely by default. Optionally, you can keep the alt text as plain text, which is useful for accessibility contexts.
Does it strip HTML embedded within Markdown?▾
Inline HTML within Markdown (which is valid in CommonMark) is not stripped by this tool. Use Strip HTML Tags first if your Markdown also contains raw HTML.
Does it handle front matter (--- delimited YAML)?▾
Front matter blocks at the top of a Markdown file are removed along with their --- delimiters, treating them as horizontal rules.
What is the difference between this and Strip HTML?▾
Strip HTML removes angle-bracket HTML tags. Strip Markdown removes Markdown syntax characters like #, **, *, >, and backticks. Some Markdown files contain both — run Strip Markdown first, then Strip HTML.
Does it work on MDX (Markdown with JSX)?▾
The standard Markdown syntax is stripped correctly. JSX components embedded in MDX are treated as plain text and are not stripped — use Strip HTML after stripping Markdown to remove any remaining JSX.
Can I use it to convert Markdown to plain text for email?▾
Yes. This is one of the most common use cases. The output is readable prose without any raw syntax characters, suitable for pasting into any email client.

Explore the category

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Glossary

Markdown
A lightweight markup language created by John Gruber that uses plain-text formatting syntax to produce HTML. Widely used for documentation, README files, and blogging.
CommonMark
A standardized Markdown specification that resolves ambiguities in the original Gruber spec. The most widely implemented Markdown dialect.
Fenced code block
A multi-line code block in Markdown delimited by triple backticks (```) or tildes (~~~), with an optional language identifier on the opening fence.
Front matter
YAML or TOML metadata at the start of a Markdown file, delimited by --- lines. Used by static site generators to set page metadata.
Emphasis
Markdown syntax for italic text using single asterisks or underscores: *italic* or _italic_.
Strong emphasis
Markdown syntax for bold text using double asterisks or underscores: **bold** or __bold__.