MD Factory converts OpenDocument files to Markdown on Windows: ODT text documents, ODS spreadsheets and ODP presentations. Add the files, and each one gets its own .md next to it.
The three formats behave differently. A text document becomes running text, a spreadsheet becomes tables, a presentation becomes a list of slides. Below is what carries over from each, what MD Factory flags for review, and what to check yourself.
Which OpenDocument files are supported
OpenDocument is the format LibreOffice uses by default. It is an OASIS standard for text documents, spreadsheets and presentations that is not tied to one application.
| Extension | Document type | Markdown result |
|---|---|---|
.odt | Text document (Writer) | Headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, links, footnotes and images |
.ods | Spreadsheet (Calc) | One heading and one table per sheet |
.odp | Presentation (Impress) | One Slide N section per slide, with notes |
Two cases are not converted. A password-protected file fails, so remove the password in LibreOffice first. Flat XML files (.fodt, .fods, .fodp) are not supported either; open them in LibreOffice and save them again as a regular ODT, ODS or ODP.
ODT: text documents
An ODT file keeps its structure: headings, lists, bold and italic text, links, footnotes, tables and images. Images are saved in a <name>_images folder next to the Markdown file.
Three things are not converted. MD Factory marks the file Needs review when it meets them:
- Headers and footers. Page numbers and running titles are not converted. If a footer carries something you need, such as a document number, copy it into the Markdown by hand.
- Comments. Reviewer comments are not converted. If the comments matter, copy them out of LibreOffice before you rely on the Markdown.
- Tracked changes. The text is kept as it currently reads. Before converting a document that went through review, open it in LibreOffice and decide what to keep: Edit > Track Changes > Manage lets you accept or reject changes. Save a copy, so the original review trail stays.
For a Word file instead of an ODT, see how to convert Word to Markdown.
ODS: spreadsheets
Each sheet becomes a heading with a Markdown table under it. Numbers, dates, times, percentages and currency come out formatted.
The conversion flags the cases where a table can mislead:
- Hidden sheets are included. They are flagged, so you can tell them from the visible ones. Decide whether you want them in a document you share.
- Formulas without a saved value. A cell like that appears as the formula, for example
=SUM(B2:B9), and is flagged. Open the file in LibreOffice, recalculate and save, or replace the formula yourself. - Merged cells. A Markdown table has no merged cells, so these are flagged. Check that each label still sits next to the right values.
A wide sheet makes a wide table. For a large data sheet, a CSV export is often the better format; see CSV to Markdown. The same checks for Excel workbooks are in Excel to Markdown on Windows.
ODP: presentations
Every slide becomes a section called Slide N, followed by its title, text, tables and images. Speaker notes come with the slide.
A slide is a layout, and Markdown is a sequence of text. Positions, colors and animations do not carry over. A slide that is mostly a diagram gives you little text, so keep the original deck for those. More on this in PowerPoint to Markdown on Windows, where the same limits apply to PPTX.
Convert the files
- Open MD Factory and add your ODT, ODS and ODP files. You can also add a folder or drag files in.
- Conversion starts right away.
- When the queue finishes, check the status of each file: Completed, Needs review or Failed.
- Open the
.mdfiles, which are saved next to the originals.
Your original files are not changed. Everything runs on your PC and nothing is uploaded. If you convert a file again, MD Factory replaces its own earlier result only if you have not edited it. Otherwise it saves a numbered copy such as report (2).md, so your edits are safe.
Check the result
Needs review does not mean the conversion failed. The file converted, and something in it needs a look. Start with those files, then spot-check the rest.
- ODT: heading levels, the order of list items, footnotes, and anything that lived in a header, footer or comment.
- ODS: the totals and any flagged formula cell, compared with the sheet in LibreOffice. Check that no hidden sheet ended up in a file you plan to share.
- ODP: that no slide is missing, that the notes belong to the right slide, and that picture-heavy slides still make sense without their layout.
Move each Markdown file together with its _images folder, or the picture links break. To turn the converted folder into something an AI agent can work from, follow our document preparation guide.