ODP to MD API
POST /v2/convert/odp/to/md returns the text of an OpenDocument presentation as Markdown. With ConvertHiddenSlides=true our composting workshop gave 862 bytes: five ## sections, the hidden facilitator checklist among them.
- Endpoint
- POST /v2/
convert/ odp/ to/ md - Accepts
- odp
- Sample timing
- 0.712 s median of 5 runsHow we measure
- Request size
- Up to 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans, all files together
Request and response
Every sample below ran against the API before this page was published. Set PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY to your key and run it as is.
curl -sS -X POST \
https://api.pdfconversionapi.com/v2/convert/odp/to/md \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY" \
-F File=@compost-workshop.odp \
--form-string ConvertHiddenSlides=true \
-o response.json
# FileData is base64. Save the first file in converted/,
# or print the JSON error.
if jq -e '.Files' response.json > /dev/null; then
mkdir -p converted
name=$(jq -r '.Files[0].FileName' response.json)
jq -r '.Files[0].FileData' response.json \
| base64 --decode > "converted/$name"
else
cat response.json
fiimport base64
import os
import requests
key = os.environ["PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY"]
response = requests.post(
"https://api.pdfconversionapi.com/v2/convert/odp/to/md",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {key}"},
files=[("File", open("compost-workshop.odp", "rb"))],
data={
"ConvertHiddenSlides": "true",
},
timeout=180,
)
result = response.json()
if not response.ok:
raise SystemExit(f"{result['Code']}: {result['Message']}")
os.makedirs("converted", exist_ok=True)
for file in result["Files"]:
path = os.path.join("converted", file["FileName"])
with open(path, "wb") as out:
out.write(base64.b64decode(file["FileData"]))
print(path, file["FileSize"], "bytes")
import { mkdir, readFile, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
import { join } from "node:path";
const form = new FormData();
const file = "compost-workshop.odp";
form.append("File", new Blob([await readFile(file)]), file);
form.append("ConvertHiddenSlides", "true");
const url = "https://api.pdfconversionapi.com/v2/convert/odp/to/md";
const key = process.env.PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY;
const response = await fetch(url, {
method: "POST",
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${key}` },
body: form,
});
const result = await response.json();
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`${result.Code}: ${result.Message}`);
}
await mkdir("converted", { recursive: true });
for (const file of result.Files) {
const path = join("converted", file.FileName);
await writeFile(path, Buffer.from(file.FileData, "base64"));
console.log(path, file.FileSize, "bytes");
}
{
"ConversionCost": 1,
"ConversionTime": 0.712,
"Files": [
{
"FileName": "compost-workshop.md",
"FileExt": "md",
"FileSize": 862,
"FileData": "IyMgQ29tcG9zdGluZyBiYXNp…"
}
]
}Response from our test run on 2026-11-03. ConversionTime shows the median of 5 runs. FileData is shortened here; the real response carries the whole file as base64.
The sample, converted
The same file the code sends. Download the input and the output and compare them yourself.
compost-workshop.md, first 30 of 33 lines
## Composting basics- Saturday workshop at the Elm Street community garden- The garden is fictional. Sample slides for pdfconversionapi.com, released under CC0 1.0.## Greens and browns- Greens (nitrogen) Browns (carbon)- Vegetable scraps Dry leaves- Coffee grounds and filters Shredded cardboard- Fresh grass clippings Straw- Tea leaves Sawdust from untreated wood- Aim for about three buckets of browns for every bucket of greens.## Four things a heap needs- Greens- Browns- Water- Air## Facilitator checklist- Gloves in three sizes- A bucket of finished compost to pass around- Sign-up sheet for the bin rota## A bin for a small plot- One cubic meter holds enough heat to break scraps down
- Input
- compost-workshop.odp (40 KB)
- Output
- compost-workshop.md (862 bytes)
- Source
- Five OpenDocument slides for a composting workshop at a fictional community garden, with a table, a diagram drawn from shapes and one hidden slide. We made them for this page. (CC0-1.0). How it was made
- Made by
- 2026-11-04, API build
9eeeb0640aba
Parameters
Send these as form fields next to the file. Names are case-insensitive. If you set one of the documented options below that we don't support yet, the request fails with a 400 that names it instead of returning a file made without it.
| Parameter | What it does |
|---|---|
ConvertHiddenSlidesboolean, default false | Outline hidden slides in their place. Left out, the facilitator checklist is dropped and the file is 732 bytes with four sections. |
Passwordstring | For an .odp saved with a password; without it the API answers 422. |
FileNamestring | Name of the .md file; compost-workshop.md by default. |
StoreFileboolean, default false | Hand back a 3-hour link instead of the text. |
Not supported yet
Setting one of these to anything but its default returns 400.
| Option | What to do instead |
|---|---|
PageRange | The whole presentation is outlined; PageRange=1 returns 400 "PageRange is not supported yet for ODP → MD". |
IncludeSpeakerNotes | The squeeze-test note isn't included; true returns 400. |
ListBulletChar | Bullets are always -. |
Images | Pictures are left out; values other than embed return 400. |
What carries over, and what doesn't
Kept
- Slide titles as
##headings, in slide order - Labels inside shapes: the diagram gives "Greens", "Browns", "Water" and "Air" as bullets
- Table rows as single bullets with tab characters between the two columns
- Text boxes such as "Aim for about three buckets of browns for every bucket of greens."
Lost or not yet supported
- The arrows of the diagram: the outline lists the four labels but not how they connect.
- The bin picture, with no image link.
- Speaker notes.
- Fonts, colors and the table's header fills.
Limits
- One .odp per request, 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans at most.
- Up to 120 seconds per conversion.
Where teams use it
A text version of a workshop for the website
Publish the slide text as an article or a printable checklist. The table rows and the four diagram labels come through as bullets.
Organizer notes in one file
With ConvertHiddenSlides=true, hidden helper slides such as the facilitator checklist land in the same outline, so organizers get everything in one place.
Questions
Is text inside drawn shapes included?
Yes. Each labeled shape gives a bullet, in the order the shapes were added: Greens, Browns, Water, Air for the cycle diagram. Arrows without text give nothing.
How are tables written?
As one bullet per row with a tab between cells, for example "Vegetable scraps" and "Dry leaves" on one line. There is no Markdown table syntax yet.
Can I leave the hidden slide out?
That is the default. Drop ConvertHiddenSlides=true and the facilitator checklist disappears, leaving four sections in 732 bytes.
Convert your first ODP file in a minute.