Markdown to Word

Common Markdown to Word Conversion Issues and How to Fix Them

Quick solutions to the most common problems when converting Markdown to Word documents

Converting Markdown to Word should be straightforward, but various issues can ariseβ€”from formatting problems to missing content. This troubleshooting guide provides step-by-step solutions to the most common conversion problems, organized by issue type for quick reference.

πŸ’‘ Quick Tip: Most issues can be avoided by using a quality converter like our free tool, which handles complex formatting automatically.

Formatting Issues

❌ Problem: Lost Heading Styles

Symptom: All headings appear the same size in Word, or heading hierarchy is incorrect

Cause: Converter doesn't map Markdown H1-H6 to Word heading styles

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Use proper Markdown syntax: 
    # H1 (Document Title)
## H2 (Main Section)
### H3 (Subsection)
  2. 2. Don't skip heading levels: Go H1 β†’ H2 β†’ H3, not H1 β†’ H3
  3. 3. Use a better converter: Switch to one that preserves heading hierarchy
  4. 4. Manual fix in Word: Select each heading β†’ Apply correct Heading style from Styles pane

❌ Problem: Broken Lists

Symptom: List items appear as regular paragraphs, or nested lists are flat

Cause: Inconsistent indentation or converter doesn't support nested lists

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Check indentation: Use 2 or 4 spaces (not tabs) for nested items 
    - Item 1
  - Nested (2 spaces)
    - Double nested (4 spaces)
  2. 2. Ensure blank lines: Add blank line before and after lists
  3. 3. Avoid mixing list types: Don't mix -, *, and + in same list
  4. 4. Test with simple list first: Verify converter handles basic lists before complex ones

❌ Problem: Table Alignment Problems

Symptom: Table columns not aligned as expected, or all left-aligned

Cause: Missing or incorrect alignment markers

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Use alignment markers correctly: 
    | Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| A    | B      | C     |
  2. 2. Ensure consistent column count: Same number of | in all rows
  3. 3. No extra spaces: Check alignment row has no trailing spaces
  4. 4. Use specialized tool: Try our table converter

Content Issues

❌ Problem: Missing Images

Symptom: Images don't appear in Word document, or show as broken links

Cause: Relative paths, broken URLs, or images not embedded

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Use absolute URLs: 
    ![Logo](https://example.com/logo.png)
  2. 2. For local images: Upload to CDN or use base64 encoding
  3. 3. Verify image URLs: Open each URL in browser to confirm accessibility
  4. 4. Check file size: Very large images (>5MB) may fail to embed
  5. 5. Use supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG (not all converters support SVG)

❌ Problem: Broken Links

Symptom: Links don't work in Word, or appear as plain text

Cause: Incorrect Markdown link syntax or converter doesn't preserve links

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Use correct syntax: 
    [Link Text](https://example.com)
  2. 2. Avoid relative links: Use full URLs for external links
  3. 3. Test links before conversion: Click each link in Markdown preview
  4. 4. Check for special characters: URL-encode spaces and special chars

❌ Problem: Code Block Formatting Lost

Symptom: Code blocks appear as regular text, lose monospace font

Cause: Converter doesn't preserve code block styling

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Use fenced code blocks: 
    ```python
def hello():
    print("Hello")
```
  2. 2. Add language identifier: Helps with syntax highlighting
  3. 3. Check converter features: Ensure it supports code blocks
  4. 4. Manual fix: In Word, select code β†’ Font β†’ Courier New/Consolas

Encoding and Character Issues

❌ Problem: Special Characters Broken

Symptom: Chinese/Japanese/Korean characters, emoji, or special symbols display incorrectly

Cause: Encoding mismatch (not UTF-8)

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Save Markdown as UTF-8: In your editor, ensure UTF-8 encoding
  2. 2. Use Unicode-aware converter: Most modern converters handle UTF-8
  3. 3. Test with simple characters first: Try "δ½ ε₯½" or "こんにけは"
  4. 4. Check Word font: Ensure font supports the character set (e.g., Arial Unicode MS)

File Size and Performance Problems

❌ Problem: Conversion Fails for Large Files

Symptom: Converter times out or crashes with files >5MB

Cause: File size limits or too many images

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Split into smaller files: Convert chapters separately
  2. 2. Optimize images: Compress images before embedding
  3. 3. Use desktop tool: Try Pandoc for large files (no size limit)
  4. 4. Remove unnecessary content: Delete unused images/sections

Browser Compatibility

❌ Problem: Converter Doesn't Work in Browser

Symptom: Page loads but conversion button doesn't work

Cause: JavaScript disabled or old browser version

βœ… Solutions:

  1. 1. Enable JavaScript: Check browser settings
  2. 2. Update browser: Use latest Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  3. 3. Clear cache: Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R / Cmd+Shift+R)
  4. 4. Try different browser: Test in another browser
  5. 5. Disable extensions: Ad blockers may interfere

Prevention Tips

πŸ›‘οΈ Avoid Issues Before They Happen

  • 1.
    Validate Markdown first:

    Use a Markdown linter or preview tool to catch syntax errors

  • 2.
    Test with small sample:

    Convert a small portion first to verify formatting

  • 3.
    Use quality converter:

    Choose a converter with good reviews and active maintenance

  • 4.
    Keep backups:

    Save original Markdown file before conversion

  • 5.
    Follow best practices:

    See our formatting guide

Quick Reference: Common Fixes

Problem Quick Fix
Headings same size Use H1-H6 syntax, don't skip levels
Lists not indented Use 2/4 spaces for nesting, not tabs
Tables misaligned Add alignment markers (:---, :---:, ---:)
Images missing Use absolute URLs, not relative paths
Links broken Check syntax: [text](url)
Code blocks plain text Use fenced blocks with ```
Special chars broken Save as UTF-8 encoding
File too large Split file or use Pandoc

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