Convert Markdown to JSON Online

The JSON Output

The example Markdown table produces this JSON:

[
  { "Name": "Alice", "Age": "30", "City": "Istanbul" },
  { "Name": "Bob", "Age": "25", "City": "Ankara" }
]

The header row defines the keys. Each data row becomes an object. All values are strings since Markdown has no type information.

How Markdown Tables Map to JSON

Markdown tables have a simple, predictable structure that maps directly to JSON.

The pipe character acts as the column delimiter. The separator line (containing dashes and optional colons for alignment) is purely syntax and produces no data in the output.

When to Convert Markdown to JSON

README Processing

README files often contain tables listing features, dependencies, or configuration options. Converting these tables to JSON lets you programmatically validate or compare documentation across versions.

Documentation Pipelines

If you maintain documentation in Markdown and need to feed structured data into a build system, converting tables to JSON gives you a clean input format for templates, search indexes, or static site generators.

Data Extraction from Docs

Technical documentation frequently includes data tables: API parameters, status codes, version comparisons. Converting these Markdown tables to JSON lets you extract that data into test fixtures, validation schemas, or reference data.

Note Taking and Knowledge Bases

Markdown is the standard format for note-taking tools. If you track structured data in Markdown tables (task lists, inventory, schedules), converting to JSON lets you build queries and views over that data.

Handling Edge Cases

Alignment Colons

Markdown table cells can have alignment markers in the separator row: :--- for left, ---: for right, :---: for center. The converter ignores these since alignment is a presentation concern, not data.

Pipe Characters in Values

If a cell value contains a pipe character, the Markdown source must escape it with a backslash (\|). The converter handles escaped pipes correctly, treating the literal pipe as content rather than a delimiter.

Inconsistent Column Counts

Markdown requires every row to have the same number of columns. If a row has fewer cells, the converter fills missing values with empty strings. If a row has extra cells, the converter typically ignores them.

Markdown List Conversion

Beyond tables, Markdown lists convert to JSON arrays. Nested lists produce nested arrays. A task list with checkboxes produces objects with checked status:

- [x] Complete design
- [ ] Write tests
- [ ] Deploy

Becomes:

[
  { "text": "Complete design", "checked": true },
  { "text": "Write tests", "checked": false },
  { "text": "Deploy", "checked": false }
]

This conversion is useful for extracting task data from Markdown files into project management tools or CI/CD pipelines.