MarkItDown is a Python tool designed to convert various file types, including PDFs, Word documents, and audio files, into Markdown format, facilitating text analysis and integration with large language models (LLMs). The tool emphasizes the preservation of document structure during conversion and introduces a protocol for interactive LLM functionalities. Its recent updates have clarified dependencies and broadened support for different file formats, catering to developers and users alike. Key Points - MarkItDown is a Python utility specifically for converting multiple document types into Markdown format optimized for text analysis and LLM applications. - The tool supports a wide array of file formats including PDF, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, images, audio, HTML, and even YouTube URLs. - Recent updates addressed breaking changes in functionality, requiring a binary file-like object in conversion methods and revising the DocumentConverter interface. - Users can install MarkItDown through pip with optional dependencies tailored to specific file formats for more customized installations. - Plugins are supported, which allows third-party contributions to extend MarkItDown's capabilities, although they are disabled by default. - The integration of Microsoft Document Intelligence is available for enhanced conversion features, specifically for PDF files. - MarkItDown requires Python 3.10 or higher, and it is recommended to use a virtual environment for installation to prevent dependency issues. #MarkItDown #python #markdown #llms #textanalysis #pdfconversion #documentconversion #microsoftdocumentintelligence #pypdf #unstructured #doctr #virtualenv #pip #opensource https://github.com/microsoft/markitdown