GroupDocs.Markdown for Python via .NET 26.3 Release Notes

This is the first public release of GroupDocs.Markdown for Python via .NET, shipped as a self-contained Python wheel on PyPI. The package brings the full capabilities of the underlying .NET library to Python — PDF, Word, Excel, eBook, and text files convert to clean Markdown with a single pip install and no external runtime dependencies.

Installation

pip install groupdocs-markdown-net

Quick start

from groupdocs.markdown import MarkdownConverter

md = MarkdownConverter.to_markdown("business-plan.docx")
MarkdownConverter.to_file("business-plan.docx", "business-plan.md")

Major Features

Pythonic API Surface

The entire .NET API is exposed through Python-native snake_case naming. Classes use PascalCase (matching Python conventions), methods and properties use snake_case, and enum values use UPPER_SNAKE_CASE.

from groupdocs.markdown import MarkdownConverter, ConvertOptions, MarkdownFlavor

options = ConvertOptions()
options.flavor = MarkdownFlavor.GIT_HUB
options.heading_level_offset = 1
options.include_front_matter = True

MarkdownConverter.to_file("report.docx", "report.md", convert_options=options)

Static Convenience Methods

One-liner conversions that handle resource management automatically:

md = MarkdownConverter.to_markdown("report.docx")
MarkdownConverter.to_file("report.docx", "report.md")
formats = MarkdownConverter.get_supported_formats()

Async API

Every static and instance method has an _async counterpart. File I/O is truly asynchronous and the CPU-bound conversion runs on a worker thread, so the asyncio event loop stays responsive:

import asyncio
from groupdocs.markdown import MarkdownConverter

async def convert_many():
    await asyncio.gather(
        MarkdownConverter.to_file_async("a.docx", "a.md", None),
        MarkdownConverter.to_file_async("b.pdf",  "b.md", None),
        MarkdownConverter.to_file_async("c.xlsx", "c.md", None),
    )

asyncio.run(convert_many())

Document Inspection Without Conversion

Retrieve document metadata without performing a full conversion — useful for file browsers, validation pipelines, and pre-conversion UIs:

info = MarkdownConverter.get_info("report.docx")
# info.file_format, info.page_count, info.title, info.author, info.is_encrypted

Markdown Flavor Control

Target a specific Markdown dialect:

options = ConvertOptions()
options.flavor = MarkdownFlavor.GIT_HUB     # pipe tables, strikethrough
options.flavor = MarkdownFlavor.COMMON_MARK  # tables as code blocks

Spreadsheet Rendering Options

Full control over how spreadsheets are rendered to Markdown:

options = ConvertOptions()
options.max_columns = 8
options.max_rows = 50
options.sheet_separator = "\n---\n"
options.include_hidden_sheets = False

Heading Level Offset and YAML Front Matter

Shift heading levels when embedding converted content inside a larger document, and auto-extract metadata for static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo, Docusaurus):

options = ConvertOptions()
options.heading_level_offset = 2   # # Title -> ### Title
options.include_front_matter = True  # prepend YAML metadata

Image Strategies

Four built-in strategies for image handling:

from groupdocs.markdown import (
    ExportImagesAsBase64Strategy,
    ExportImagesToFileSystemStrategy,
    SkipImagesStrategy,
    CustomImagesStrategy,
)

strategy = ExportImagesToFileSystemStrategy("output/images")
strategy.images_relative_path = "images"  # ![](images/img-001.png)

options = ConvertOptions()
options.image_export_strategy = strategy

Conversion Warnings and Unified Error Model

All convert() methods raise on failure. ConvertResult carries non-fatal warnings (e.g. spreadsheet truncation):

from groupdocs.markdown import (
    MarkdownConverter,
    DocumentProtectedException,
    InvalidFormatException,
    GroupDocsMarkdownException,
)

try:
    MarkdownConverter.to_file("annual-report.docx", "annual-report.md")
except DocumentProtectedException:
    print("Wrong or missing password.")
except InvalidFormatException:
    print("File is corrupt or unsupported.")
except GroupDocsMarkdownException as ex:
    print(f"Conversion failed: {ex}")

Loading from Streams and Password-Protected Documents

Load from any binary stream (file, network, database, upload) and unlock protected documents via LoadOptions:

from groupdocs.markdown import MarkdownConverter, LoadOptions, FileFormat

load_opts = LoadOptions(FileFormat.DOCX)
load_opts.password = "secret"

MarkdownConverter.to_file("protected.docx", "output.md", load_options=load_opts)

with open("document.docx", "rb") as stream:
    with MarkdownConverter(stream) as converter:
        converter.convert("output.md")

Context Manager Support

MarkdownConverter implements the context-manager protocol, so loaded documents are disposed deterministically:

with MarkdownConverter("report.docx") as converter:
    converter.convert("report.md")

AI Agent & LLM Friendly

The package is designed for seamless integration with AI coding assistants and LLM pipelines:

• AGENTS.md bundled inside the installed wheel — Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot auto-discover API surface, usage patterns, and troubleshooting hints.
• Machine-readable docs at https://docs.groupdocs.com/markdown/python-net/llms-full.txt for RAG and LLM context.
• Markdown output is the preferred input format for embeddings and retrieval pipelines.

Supported Input Formats

Public API Surface

Classes

• MarkdownConverter — main entry point, static and instance API, sync and async methods
• ConvertOptions — conversion options (flavor, front matter, heading offset, image strategy, spreadsheet settings, page selection)
• ConvertResult — result of an instance conversion, carries the Markdown content and warnings
• LoadOptions — load options (explicit file format, password)
• DocumentInfo — document metadata (file_format, page_count, title, author, is_encrypted)
• License, Metered — licensing APIs

Image strategies

• ExportImagesAsBase64Strategy (default) — inline images as Base64 data URIs
• ExportImagesToFileSystemStrategy — save images to disk, optional relative path
• SkipImagesStrategy — omit images entirely
• CustomImagesStrategy — Python callable for rename/replace/redirect

Enums

• MarkdownFlavor — GIT_HUB, COMMON_MARK
• FileFormat — DOCX, PDF, XLSX, EPUB, TXT, CHM, and more

Exceptions

• GroupDocsMarkdownException — general conversion error
• InvalidFormatException — corrupt or unrecognized file
• DocumentProtectedException — wrong or missing password

Evaluation Mode

The API works without a license in evaluation mode with the following limitations:

• Only the first 3 pages of a document are processed.
• An evaluation watermark is added to the output.

To remove these limitations, apply a license or request a temporary license:

from groupdocs.markdown import License

License().set_license("path/to/license.lic")

Or set the environment variable (auto-applied at import):

export GROUPDOCS_LIC_PATH="path/to/license.lic"

System Requirements

• Python: 3.5 - 3.14 (64-bit)
• Platforms: Windows x64/x86, Linux x64, macOS x64/ARM64
• No external dependencies on Windows. Linux/macOS may need ICU installed (see Troubleshooting).

Troubleshooting

License

See detailed legal information, including terms of use, copyright, EULA, and privacy policy: https://about.groupdocs.com/legal/

Support

For questions or technical assistance, please use our Free Support Forum.