POTX to MD API
POST /v2/convert/potx/to/md returns the text typed on a template's slides as a Markdown outline. Our project review template gave 454 bytes: five ## headings, the status table as tab-separated bullets, and every bracketed field left as it is.
- Endpoint
- POST /v2/
convert/ potx/ to/ md - Accepts
- potx
- Sample timing
- 0.704 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/potx/to/md \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY" \
-F File=@project-review.potx \
-o response.json
# FileData is base64. Save the first file in converted/,
# or print the JSON error.
if jq -e '.Files' response.json > /dev/null; then
mkdir -p converted
name=$(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/potx/to/md",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {key}"},
files=[("File", open("project-review.potx", "rb"))],
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 = "project-review.potx";
form.append("File", new Blob([await readFile(file)]), file);
const url = "https://api.pdfconversionapi.com/v2/convert/potx/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": 0.704,
"Files": [
{
"FileName": "project-review.md",
"FileExt": "md",
"FileSize": 454,
"FileData": "IyMgW1Byb2plY3QgbmFtZV0g…"
}
]
}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.
project-review.md, 24 lines
## [Project name] review- Prepared by [name] on [date]## Agenda- Status at a glance- Budget: planned and spent- Risks and decisions needed- Next steps## Status at a glance- Workstream Owner Status Due- Research [owner] On track [date]- Design [owner] At risk [date]- Build [owner] On track [date]- Launch [owner] Late [date]## Budget: planned and spent- Example figures. Replace them with your own in the chart data.## Next steps
- Input
- project-review.potx (43 KB)
- Output
- project-review.md (454 bytes)
- Source
- A six-slide project review template for a fictional design studio, with bracketed text to replace and one hidden instructions slide. We made it 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 too: the how-to slide adds "## How to use this template" and three bullets before Next steps. |
Passwordstring | For an encrypted template; without it the answer is 422. |
FileNamestring | The Markdown file's name, project-review.md unless you set it. |
StoreFileboolean, default false | Link to the stored file, for 3 hours, instead of the text. |
Not supported yet
Setting one of these to anything but its default returns 400.
| Option | What to do instead |
|---|---|
SlideHeadings | Titles are always headings; false returns 400 "SlideHeadings is not supported yet for POTX → MD". |
IncludeSpeakerNotes | The title slide's note is not included; true returns 400. |
PageRange | Every visible slide is outlined; a range returns 400. |
Images | No pictures are written; values other than embed return 400. |
What carries over, and what doesn't
Kept
- Slide titles as
##headings, bracketed text and all - Agenda points as
-bullets - Each table row as a bullet with tabs between cells, starting with the header row: Workstream, Owner, Status and Due
- Text boxes on slides, like the chart caption "Example figures. Replace them with your own in the chart data."
Lost or not yet supported
- Text on the slide master: the footer "Kestrel Lane Studio | Project review" isn't in the outline.
- Prompts from layouts: Next steps is a heading with nothing under it.
- Chart values; the budget slide keeps only its caption.
- Speaker notes, pictures, and the hidden how-to slide unless you ask for it.
Limits
- One template per request, 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans at most.
- 120 seconds per conversion, then 504.
Where teams use it
Listing the fields a template expects
Scan the outlines of a whole template library for bracketed fields like [Project name], [owner] and [date], without unzipping slide XML.
Documenting templates in a wiki
Paste each template's outline under its preview so people can read the agenda and table headings before they pick one.
Questions
Does the footer from the slide master appear?
No. Only text placed on the slides is outlined. The footer, band and logo sit on the master and are left out.
Why is Next steps empty?
Its body placeholder holds no text, only a prompt from the layout ("Add up to five points, one line each"), and prompts aren't slide text.
Are the square brackets escaped?
No. The outline has "## [Project name] review" exactly as typed. Under CommonMark rules, brackets with no matching link definition stay plain text.
Convert your first POTX file in a minute.