OneNote and Markdown: a practical workflow for both directions
OneNote has no native Markdown, and a Microsoft support answer says it cannot import .md files directly. To bring notes in, use Copy formatted and paste, so headings, lists and tables arrive as formatting. To take notes out, export a page as PDF and convert it, or use Obsidian’s Importer.
What OneNote does and does not do with Markdown
Markdown is plain text where a # makes a heading and pipes make a table. OneNote does not read it. A thread on Microsoft’s tech community from 2025 reports that pasted Markdown does not render, with tables and code looking like a mess, and shows no answer from Microsoft. A Microsoft support answer from September 2024 says OneNote cannot import .md files directly and suggests copying the content or converting it first.
That sounds like a dead end, but it only changes the route. Rich text pastes into OneNote well, so the trick is to hand OneNote formatted text and keep the Markdown as your plain-text master. For notes leaving OneNote, the route is export, then convert. This guide covers both.
Two habits make the move safer: keep the Markdown file as your master, because it opens in any text editor and in almost any notes app, and treat OneNote as a place to read and annotate, not the only copy.
Move notes in and out in six steps
- Pick the directionInto OneNote means converting a PDF or scan and pasting the result. Out of OneNote means exporting pages and turning them into Markdown files for another app.
- Into OneNote: convert and copy formattedOn Evernote, OneNote and more pick OneNote in step 2, then click Copy formatted. It puts the note on your clipboard as rich text and as plain Markdown at once.
- Paste and lookPaste into a page. Headings, lists and tables should arrive as formatting, not as # and | characters. Check how OneNote styles the headings after your first paste.
- Keep the Markdown fileDownload the .md file and store it in a folder. OneNote will not open it as a note, but it is your plain-text copy if you ever move on.
- Out of OneNote: export to PDFMicrosoft’s export page says to select the page, section or notebook, choose File, then Export, pick a format such as PDF and save. That page lists OneNote for Microsoft 365, OneNote for Mac and OneNote on the web. Then convert that PDF into Markdown for the app you want.
- Or use the ImporterObsidian’s Importer plugin lists Microsoft OneNote as a source. Check its page for the sign-in route and the .onepkg route, and for what it skips.
What the plain-text copy looks like
Copy formatted puts two versions on the clipboard. This is the plain Markdown one, which is what OneNote would show if it pasted text instead of formatting.
# Cell membranes
## Transport
- Diffusion needs no energy
- Active transport does
| Process | Energy needed |
| --- | --- |
| Diffusion | No |
| Active transport | Yes |OneNote pastes the other copy, the rich text, so the # and | characters never appear on the page.
Routes between OneNote and Markdown
Read each row as a route: what it does, and the limit to know before you rely on it.
| Route | What it does | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|
| Copy formatted, then paste | Pastes headings, lists and tables as formatting | Check heading styles. Pictures are not included. |
| Paste plain Markdown | Shows # and | characters as text | OneNote does not render Markdown. |
| Import a .md file | Microsoft’s answer says it is not supported directly | Copy the content or convert the file first. |
| Convert to Word or PDF, then import | Microsoft’s other suggestion | An extra step. Check the layout afterwards. |
| Export a page as PDF, then convert | Turns a OneNote page into a Markdown note | Handwriting and pictures are not carried over. |
| Obsidian’s Importer | Sections become folders and pages become notes | Your own notebooks only. Password-protected sections are skipped. |
Obsidian’s page says its file route needs a OneNote Package or section file exported from OneNote for Windows, and that the Mac and older Windows 10 apps cannot export those formats.
What goes wrong between OneNote and Markdown
You see # and | in the page
You pasted plain Markdown. Paste the formatted copy instead, using Copy formatted.
The headings look wrong
OneNote applies its own styles to pasted headings, and the result is not always what you meant. Restyle them with OneNote’s own heading styles.
A table looks bare
A pasted table can lose borders or widths. Check the header row and adjust the table in OneNote.
The importer cannot see a notebook
Obsidian’s page says shared notebooks from other people are not supported, password-protected sections are skipped, and pages in the recycle bin are not imported.
Ink and pictures disappear
A PDF of a OneNote page turns handwriting into pictures, and handwriting is not promised. See Handwritten notes to Markdown.
A busy page reads in a strange order
OneNote pages can hold text boxes anywhere, so a PDF of one may read in an unexpected order. Check pages with many boxes.
How ocrtomarkdown helps
ocrtomarkdown’s OneNote format is built around Copy formatted. OneNote pastes the rich-text copy as headings, lists and tables, and you keep the Markdown as a backup. For pages leaving OneNote, export a PDF and convert it: lines are joined into paragraphs, headings are put in order, and tables stay tables. Pictures are left out. 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.
OneNote and Markdown: your questions
Does OneNote support Markdown?
Not natively. A 2025 community thread reports that pasted Markdown does not render, and it shows no answer from Microsoft.
Can I import a .md file into OneNote?
A Microsoft support answer from 2024 says not directly. It suggests copying the content, or converting the file to PDF or Word first.
What does Copy formatted do?
It puts the note on your clipboard in two forms at once, as rich text and as plain Markdown. OneNote takes the rich text.
Why do I see # characters in OneNote?
You pasted plain Markdown, which OneNote shows as text. Use Copy formatted and paste again.
How do I get OneNote pages into Markdown?
Export the page as PDF and convert it, or use Obsidian’s Importer plugin, which lists Microsoft OneNote as a source.
Does the Importer need my Microsoft account?
Obsidian’s page describes two routes: signing in to import notebooks synced to OneDrive, or importing exported OneNote files without an account.
Can I export from OneNote on a Mac?
Microsoft’s export page lists OneNote for Mac and gives PDF as a format. Obsidian’s page says the Mac cannot export the .onepkg and .one formats.
Is OneNote handwriting converted?
OneNote has its own Ink to Text for digital ink. ocrtomarkdown does not promise handwriting from scans or PDFs.