Evernote to Markdown: move a notebook, paste or import, and ENEX caveats
Export the notebook from Evernote’s desktop app as an ENEX file, then convert it to Markdown with a tool such as Obsidian’s Importer plugin. Going the other way, paste Markdown into a note, or use Settings, Import. Check tags, stacks, attachments and tasks afterwards.
Out of Evernote, and back in
Evernote’s help page says an export is an ENEX file, an Evernote XML file, or HTML. Exports happen in the desktop app for Mac or Windows and not on Evernote Web, and a single export covers up to 100 notes at a time or entire notebooks. ENEX keeps your notes as XML, so a second tool must turn it into Markdown.
Coming back, there are two doors. Evernote’s Markdown help says pasting plain Markdown converts it to rich text. Its separate import help says Settings, then Import, turns .pdf, .txt, .html, .md and .docx files into editable notes on the desktop app. Either is worth a test with one note.
A move is also a good moment to prune. Many notebooks hold old clippings and attachments you no longer need, and a smaller export is quicker to convert and easier to check.
Move a notebook out in six steps
- Tidy before you exportObsidian’s importer page says Evernote’s export does not keep the tag hierarchy, and suggests renaming child tags to ParentTag/ChildTag first. Merge duplicate tags while you are there.
- Export from the desktop appRight-click the notebook, choose Export, then pick ENEX. Evernote’s help says large ENEX files can be split by size, somewhere between 300 MB and 2 GB, so expect more than one file for a big notebook.
- Choose a converterObsidian’s Importer plugin lists Evernote (.enex) among its sources and lets you preview before importing. Third-party tools such as Yarle also turn ENEX into Markdown, including a Logseq form. Check each tool’s own documentation.
- Convert one notebookThe importer page says an export covers one notebook, so the default file has no stack information. To keep a stack, it says to rename the file Stack1@@@NotebookA before importing.
- Check a sampleOpen a note with a table, one with an attachment, one with a checklist and one with a long web clip. Compare each with the original before converting the rest.
- Keep the ENEX as a backupDo not delete the export or the account until you have lived in the new notes for a while. A week of daily use finds what a spot-check misses. Obsidian import PDF notes shows where converted files can go.
What an ENEX file looks like
A simplified outline. Real files have more fields, but the shape is the same.
<en-export>
<note>
<title>Lecture 4</title>
<content>… the note, as HTML-like text …</content>
<tag>biology</tag>
<resource>… an attachment …</resource>
</note>
</en-export>The note text sits inside XML in a form no notes app shows as Markdown, which is why a converter sits in the middle.
ENEX caveats to check
These come from Evernote’s and Obsidian’s help pages and the Yarle documentation. Tools change, so test your own notebook.
| Part of a note | What the sources say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Notes and text | ENEX is XML. A converter writes Markdown from it. | Formatting such as colours and fonts. |
| Tags | Exports keep tags as metadata, but not the tag hierarchy. | Rename children as Parent/Child before exporting. |
| Notebooks and stacks | One notebook per export. The default file lacks stack information. | Name files Stack@@@Notebook for Obsidian’s importer. |
| Attachments | Yarle puts attachments in a resources folder. HTML export gives a folder of resources. | Open a note with a PDF or image. |
| Tasks | Yarle says Evernote 10 and later tasks lose reminders and due dates in its standard form. | Recreate the reminders you need. |
| Dates | Created and modified dates are stored as metadata. Yarle keeps them. | Check a few notes for the right dates. |
None of these is a reason to avoid moving. They are the places where a quick spot-check pays off, so list the notes that matter most and check those first.
What goes wrong when you move
There is no Export option
Evernote’s help says you cannot export from Evernote Web, and the import help says you cannot import from a mobile device. Use the desktop app.
Stacks and tags flatten
The default export leaves out stack information and tag hierarchy. Name and rename as described above, before you export.
Pasted Markdown shows # characters
Evernote’s help says Markdown copied with other formatting is treated as HTML, so it is not parsed. Paste it with Ctrl or Cmd plus Shift plus V.
Attached PDFs are not notes
A PDF attached to an old note stays a file, with no headings or searchable paragraphs. Convert it separately, like any other PDF.
Reminders disappear
Task reminders and due dates may not survive the conversion. Make a list of the ones you rely on before you start.
A big notebook arrives in parts
Exports are limited to 100 notes at a time or entire notebooks, and large ENEX files can be split. Keep the parts together.
How ocrtomarkdown helps
ocrtomarkdown does not read ENEX files. It handles the PDF and scan side: attached PDFs, exported pages and scans of paper notes. Its Evernote format is plain Markdown with single blank lines and headings kept to three levels, which Evernote’s help lists as converting when pasted. Convert on Evernote, OneNote and more. Free: 3 files a day, up to 10 pages each, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Evernote and Markdown: your questions
How do I export a notebook from Evernote?
In the desktop app for Mac or Windows, right-click the notebook, choose Export and pick ENEX or HTML. Evernote Web cannot export.
Is there a limit on exports?
Evernote’s help says up to 100 notes at a time, or entire notebooks, and large ENEX files can be split by size.
What can read an ENEX file?
Obsidian’s Importer plugin lists Evernote (.enex), and third-party tools such as Yarle convert ENEX to Markdown. Check their documentation.
Do my tags and stacks survive?
Not fully. The tag hierarchy is not kept and the default file lacks stacks, unless you rename tags and files first.
Can Evernote import a Markdown file?
Evernote’s import help lists .md among the files that Settings, then Import turns into editable notes in the desktop app, and says importing is not available on a mobile device. We have not tried the import ourselves, so test one file first. Pasting the Markdown into a note also works.
Why do I see # characters after pasting?
The text was copied with other formatting, so Evernote treated it as HTML. Paste again with Ctrl or Cmd plus Shift plus V.
Does ocrtomarkdown convert ENEX files?
No. It converts PDFs and scans, so use it for attached PDFs and paper notes.
Which Markdown does Evernote convert?
Its help lists headings, lists, links, images, quotes, bold, italics and tables. Code blocks are not mentioned.