Obsidian Markdown to Word Converter Plugin

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Product Overview

The Obsidian Markdown to Word Converter Plugin is a productivity enhancement tool that enables users to seamlessly convert their Markdown files within Obsidian into professionally formatted Microsoft Word documents (.docx). The plugin integrates directly into Obsidian's file explorer with a simple right-click context menu option, honoring frontmatter metadata and preserving complete Markdown formatting.

1.2 Key Value Proposition

• Seamless Integration: One-click conversion directly from Obsidian's interface
• Professional Output: Automated creation of title pages and table of contents
• Full Markdown Support: Preserves all formatting, tables, lists, and styling
• Time Saving: Eliminates manual copy-paste and reformatting workflows

2. Problem Statement

2.1 Current Pain Points

Users frequently need to share their Obsidian notes in Word format for:

• Business documentation
• Collaborative review
• Professional presentations
• Client deliverables

Current solutions require:

• Manual copying and pasting content
• Recreating formatting in Word
• Manually creating title pages and table of contents
• Loss of markdown formatting during conversion
• Time-intensive reformatting processes

2.2 Target Audience

Primary Users:

• Business professionals and consultants
• Technical writers and documentation specialists
• Content creators

Secondary Users:

• Project managers
• Marketing professionals
• Legal professionals

3. Product Goals and Success Metrics

3.1 Primary Goals

1. Seamless Integration: Provide native Obsidian integration with minimal user friction
2. High-Quality Output: Title page, native Word TOC, and full Markdown fidelity
3. Feature Completeness: Support all major Markdown elements and formatting

3.2 Success Metrics

Performance: <3 seconds conversion time for typical documents

4. Core Features and Requirements

4.1 Must-Have Features (MVP)

4.1.1 Context Menu Integration

Requirement: Right-click context menu option on .md files

Behavior: Display "Convert to DOCX" option in file explorer context menu

Acceptance Criteria:

• Option appears only for .md files
• Single-click triggers conversion process
• Visual feedback during conversion

4.1.2 Title Page Generation

Requirement: Automatically generate professional title page

Configuration Options:

• Document title (from filename or frontmatter)
• Author name (from plugin settings)
• Organization/Company name
• Date (current or from frontmatter)
• Custom subtitle/description

Acceptance Criteria:

• Layout with proper spacing
• Professional typography
• Customizable through plugin settings

4.1.3 Table of Contents

Requirement: Generate native Word TOC with hyperlinks

Features:

• Automatic heading detection (H1-H6)
• Clickable navigation links
• Proper indentation hierarchy
• Page number references

Acceptance Criteria:

• TOC updates automatically in Word
• All headings properly linked
• Correct nesting levels

4.1.4 Markdown Content Conversion

Core Markdown Elements:

• Headings (H1-H6) with proper styling
• Paragraphs with correct spacing
• Bold and italic formatting
• Strikethrough text
• Inline and block code
• Unordered and ordered lists
• Nested lists with proper indentation
• Blockquotes with styling
• Horizontal rules/dividers

4.1.5 Advanced Markdown Features

Tables:

• Header row styling
• Cell alignment (left, center, right)
• Bordered table format
• Proper column sizing

Links:

• External URLs as hyperlinks
• Internal Obsidian links (converted to text)
• Email links

Images:

• Embedded images with captions
• Proper sizing and positioning
• Alt text preservation

Code Blocks:

• Syntax highlighting preservation
• Monospace font formatting
• Proper indentation

4.1.6 File Management

Output Location: Save .docx in same directory as source .md file Naming Convention: [filename].docx (replacing .md extension) Overwrite Handling: Prompt user if file already exists

4.2 Should-Have Features (Phase 2)

4.2.1 Advanced Configuration

Plugin Settings Panel:

• Default author and organization
• Font family and size preferences
• Margin and spacing settings
• Color scheme options
• Template selection

4.2.2 Frontmatter Integration

YAML Frontmatter Support:

• Title override
• Author override
• Date specification
• Tags and categories
• Custom metadata

4.2.3 Obsidian-Specific Features

• Wiki Links: Convert [[Internal Links]] to styled text
• Tags: Include tag list on title page or as appendix
• Backlinks: Optional backlink section
• Embedded Notes: Handle embedded content

4.2.4 Batch Conversion

• Multi-File Selection: Convert multiple files simultaneously
• Folder Conversion: Convert entire folders with subdirectory structure

4.3 Could-Have Features (Future Enhancements)

4.3.1 Advanced Formatting

• Custom Styles: User-defined paragraph and heading styles
• Themes: Pre-defined formatting themes (Academic, Business, Minimal)
• Headers/Footers: Customizable document headers and footers

4.3.2 Export Options

• Template System: Custom Word template integration

5. Technical Requirements

5.1 Platform Compatibility

• Obsidian Versions: Compatible with Obsidian v1.8+
• Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Node.js Requirements: Built on Obsidian's Electron framework

5.2 Dependencies

Core Libraries:

• docx ^9.5.1 for Word document generation
• markdown-it ^14.1.0 for robust Markdown parsing
• obsidian latest API for plugin integration
• TypeScript ^5.9.2 for development
• vite ^7.0.6 as bundler
• vitest ^3.2.4 as test framework

5.3 Performance Requirements

• Conversion Speed: <3 seconds for documents up to 50 pages
• Memory Usage: <100MB during conversion process
• File Size Limits: Support documents up to 10MB
• Concurrent Operations: Handle multiple conversions simultaneously

5.4 Security and Privacy

• Local Processing: All conversion happens locally (no cloud services)
• Data Privacy: No user data transmitted externally
• File Permissions: Standard file system read/write access only

6. User Experience Design

6.1 User Journey

1. Discovery: User right-clicks on a .md file in Obsidian
2. Action: Selects "Convert to DOCX" from context menu
3. Feedback: Visual indicator shows conversion in progress
4. Completion: Success notification with option to open document
5. Result: Professional Word document ready for use

6.2 Interface Requirements

• Context Menu Integration: Seamless integration with existing Obsidian UI
• Progress Indicators: Clear feedback during conversion process
• Error Handling: User-friendly error messages with actionable solutions
• Settings Panel: Intuitive configuration interface

7. Quality Assurance and Testing

7.1 Testing Strategy

• Unit Tests: Core conversion logic and markdown parsing
• Integration Tests: Obsidian plugin API integration
• End-to-End Tests: Complete user workflows
• Performance Tests: Large document conversion benchmarks
• Compatibility Tests: Various Obsidian versions and operating systems

7.2 Quality Metrics

• Conversion Accuracy: 99%+ formatting preservation
• Performance: 95% of conversions complete within target time
• Compatibility: 100% success rate on supported platforms

8. Release and Distribution

8.1 Release Strategy

• Phase 1 (MVP): Core conversion features with basic formatting
• Phase 2 (Enhanced): Advanced configuration and Obsidian-specific features
• Phase 3 (Advanced): Batch processing and collaboration features

8.2 Distribution Channels

• Primary: GitHub releases for advanced users
• Secondary: Obsidian Community Plugins directory
• Documentation: Comprehensive user guide and API documentation

8.3 Support and Maintenance

• Community Support: Active engagement in Obsidian forums
• Bug Tracking: GitHub issues for bug reports and feature requests

9. Risk Assessment and Mitigation

9.1 Technical Risks

• Risk: Obsidian API changes breaking plugin compatibility     - Mitigation: Regular testing against Obsidian latest versions

• Risk: Complex markdown parsing edge cases     - Mitigation: Comprehensive test suite with diverse markdown samples

• Risk: Word document compatibility issues     - Mitigation: Use well-established docx library with broad compatibility

10 Features and Use Cases

Feature	Use Cases
Context-Menu Integration	- Quickly convert a single note to DOCX by right-clicking in the file list or editor. - Right-click on a folder (future batch feature) to convert multiple files.
Command Palette Integration	- Quickly convert a single note to DOCX by using the command palette.
Title Page Generation	- Auto-create a professional title page with document title, author, and date for client deliverables. - Standardize cover pages across a team.
Table of Contents	- Insert a native Word TOC for long reports or manuals. - Allow reviewers to jump directly to sections in large documents.
Core Markdown Conversion	- Preserve headings, paragraphs, bold & italic for basic notes. - Convert daily meeting notes into Word without losing structure.
Advanced Markdown Features	- Render tables, links, images, and code blocks in technical docs. - Convert project roadmaps (with markdown tables) into a Word outline.
File Management	- Auto-name output files (Note Title.docx) and handle overwrite confirmations. - Place converted files in a user-configurable folder.
Plugin Settings Panel	- Let users configure defaults (e.g. output folder, naming template). - Toggle features like TOC or title page on/off.
YAML Frontmatter Overrides	- Pull title/author/date from frontmatter instead of filename. - Support custom metadata fields (e.g. project code).
Wiki-link Conversion	- Transform [[Internal Note]] references into hyper-linked bookmarks in DOCX. - Maintain link integrity when exporting knowledge-base docs.
Tags & Backlinks Section	- Append a “Tags & Backlinks” appendix at the end of the document. - Provide context for networked notes in client reports.
Batch/Folder Conversion	- Convert an entire project folder with one command. - Automate nightly exports of a vault for backup or sharing.
Custom Styles & Themes	- Apply corporate branding styles (fonts, colors, headings). - Switch between “Academic,” “Business,” or “Marketing” templates.
Headers & Footers	- Add page numbers, dates, or client logos in headers/footers. - Insert section titles in running headers for long docs.
Word Template Integration	- Use existing .dotx templates as a base for all exports. - Ensure consistency with organization’s Word templates.

11. Appendices

11.1 Competitive Analysis

• Pandoc Integration: More complex setup, broader format support
• Manual Copy-Paste: Time-intensive, formatting loss
• Export Plugins: Limited formatting options, no title page automation

11.2 Technical Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   Obsidian UI   │────│  Plugin Core     │────│  Word Generator │
│  (Context Menu) │    │  (Event Handler) │    │  (docx Library) │
└─────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘
                                │
                       ┌──────────────────┐
                       │ Markdown Parser  │
                       │ (markdown-it)    │
                       └──────────────────┘

12 Project Tracker

12.1 MVP Feature Tracker

#	Feature	Status	Notes
4.1.1	Context Menu Integration	[x]	PoC implemented ✅
4.1.2	Title Page Generation	[ ]
4.1.3	Table of Contents	[ ]
4.1.4	Core Markdown Conversion	[x]	Headings, paragraphs, bold/italic
4.1.5	Tables	[ ]
4.1.5	Links & Images	[ ]
4.1.5	Code Blocks	[ ]
4.1.6	File Management	[ ]

12.2 Phase 2 Feature Tracker

Should-Have:

•  Plugin Settings Panel
•  YAML Frontmatter Overrides
•  Wiki Link Conversion
•  Tag & Backlink Sections
•  Batch Conversion

12.3 Future Enhancements

Could-Have:

• Custom Styles & Themes
• Headers/Footers
• Word Template Integration
• Advanced Template System

12.4 Milestones

Milestone	Status
MVP release (core conversion)	In progress
Title page & TOC MVP	Pending
Settings panel UI	Pending
Phase 2 release	Pending

13. Notes

• Link to GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Luis85/convert-to-docx