microsoft / microsoft/markitdown
Feature Request: Add JSON Output Option
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- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 186k
- Forks
- 13.7k
- Avg merge
- 1d 4h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 49
Description
Summary
Currently, MarkItDown converts supported documents into Markdown format only. It would be useful to provide an optional JSON output format that preserves document structure, such as headings, paragraphs, tables, images, and metadata.
Motivation
Many developers use MarkItDown as part of automated processing pipelines and LLM workflows. Structured JSON output would allow easier integration with downstream applications without requiring additional parsing of Markdown.
Proposed Solution
Add a command-line option such as:
markitdown document.pdf --output-format json
Example output:
{
"title": "Sample Document",
"sections": [
{
"heading": "Introduction",
"content": "..."
}
]
}
Benefits
Easier integration with AI pipelines
Structured document representation
Better support for data extraction workflows
Reduced need for custom Markdown parsing
Contributor guide
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First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
The issue names no files, tests, or entry points. First identify the existing command-line output handling and document the proposed JSON schema and its expected coverage for headings, paragraphs, tables, images, and metadata; done requires a defined option and behavior that can be validated across supported document types.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 38/100