Convert a PDF to MS Word to Google Docs to Markdown

How to convert a PDF to Markdown in order to copy-paste it into the Discourse Composer!

  • Open the PDF in Acrobat PRO (the free Acrobat Reader won’t do **)
  • In the top menu select File → Export To → Microsoft Word
  • Save the File to the Downloads folder on your computer
  • Next, go to your Google Drive and click + New → File Upload
  • In your computer’s Downloads folder, find that Word (.docx) file, and select it (or click the Save button to upload it to your Google Drive
  • Once you see the uploaded (.docx) file listed in your Google Drive, double-click the file to open (it will open in Google Docs and be automatically converted to Google Docs format)
  • Next, there in Google Docs, you need to enable markdown
  • To do this, go to Tools → Preferences and check the box next to "Enable Markdown” (if it isn’t already checked)
  • Select the content you want to copy. To select everything go to Edit → Select All
  • Right-click on the selected content, and in the resulting popup menu, click on Copy as Markdown
  • Now you have the markdown version of the content copied into your computer’s clipboard
  • Next, go to edit your Discourse Topic or Post and paste in the copied content
  • To do this, right-click in the text area, and in the resulting popup menu, click on Paste
  • Save!
REFERENCES:

https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/hub/convert-pdfs-for-google-docs.html

Use Markdown in Google Docs, Slides, & Drawings - Google Docs Editors Help

** If you don’t have Acrobat PRO you can use Adobe’s online converter here a limited number of times)