Overview
Need to convert Markdown files to Word documents quickly and efficiently?
This one line PowerShell leverages the Word COM object to transform your .md files into professionally formatted .docx documents – no external tools or dependencies required.
The Solution
This script provides a complete Markdown-to-Word converter that handles all common formatting elements. Simply update the file path, paste into PowerShell, and execute.
$mdPath = "C:\Users\Documents\report.md"; if (-not (Test-Path $mdPath)) { Write-Error "❌ Markdown file not found at: $mdPath"; return }; $docPath = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($mdPath, ".docx"); function Process-InlineFormatting { param($range, $text); $position = 0; $segments = @(); while ($position -lt $text.Length) { if ($text.Substring($position) -match '^\*\*\*(.+?)\*\*\*') { $segments += @{Text = $matches[1]; Bold = $true; Italic = $true}; $position += $matches[0].Length } elseif ($text.Substring($position) -match '^\*\*(.+?)\*\*') { $segments += @{Text = $matches[1]; Bold = $true; Italic = $false}; $position += $matches[0].Length } elseif ($text.Substring($position) -match '^\*(.+?)\*') { $segments += @{Text = $matches[1]; Bold = $false; Italic = $true}; $position += $matches[0].Length } else { $nextAsterisk = $text.IndexOf('*', $position); if ($nextAsterisk -eq -1) { $segments += @{Text = $text.Substring($position); Bold = $false; Italic = $false}; break } else { $segments += @{Text = $text.Substring($position, $nextAsterisk - $position); Bold = $false; Italic = $false}; $position = $nextAsterisk } } }; foreach ($segment in $segments) { if ($segment.Text) { $range.Text = $segment.Text; $range.Font.Bold = $segment.Bold; $range.Font.Italic = $segment.Italic; $range.Collapse(0) } } }; try { $word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application; $word.Visible = $false; $doc = $word.Documents.Add(); $lines = Get-Content $mdPath -Encoding UTF8; $wdCollapseEnd = 0; $wdBorderBottom = 4; $wdLineStyleSingle = 1; $wdColorBlack = 0; $wdLineWidth150pt = 6; foreach ($line in $lines) { $range = $doc.Content; $range.Collapse($wdCollapseEnd); if ($line -match '^\s*$') { $range.Text = "`r"; $range.Style = "Normal"; continue }; if ($line -match '^\s*[-]{3,}\s*$') { $range.Text = "`r"; $range.Style = "Normal"; $range.ParagraphFormat.Borders.Item($wdBorderBottom).LineStyle = $wdLineStyleSingle; $range.ParagraphFormat.Borders.Item($wdBorderBottom).Color = $wdColorBlack; $range.ParagraphFormat.Borders.Item($wdBorderBottom).LineWidth = $wdLineWidth150pt } elseif ($line -match '^(#{1,6})\s+(.+)') { $headerLevel = $matches[1].Length; $headerText = $matches[2]; Process-InlineFormatting -range $range -text $headerText; $range.Style = "Heading $headerLevel"; $range.Collapse($wdCollapseEnd); $range.Text = "`r" } elseif ($line -match '^\s*[-*+]\s+(.+)') { $listText = $matches[1]; Process-InlineFormatting -range $range -text $listText; $range.Style = "List Bullet"; $range.Collapse($wdCollapseEnd); $range.Text = "`r" } elseif ($line -match '^\s*\d+\.\s+(.+)') { $listText = $matches[1]; Process-InlineFormatting -range $range -text $listText; $range.Style = "List Number"; $range.Collapse($wdCollapseEnd); $range.Text = "`r" } else { Process-InlineFormatting -range $range -text $line; $range.Style = "Normal"; $range.Collapse($wdCollapseEnd); $range.Text = "`r" } }; $doc.SaveAs([ref] $docPath); $doc.Close(); $word.Quit(); [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($word) | Out-Null; [System.GC]::Collect(); [System.GC]::WaitForPendingFinalizers(); Write-Host "✅ Markdown converted to Word document at $docPath" } catch { Write-Error "❌ An error occurred: $_"; if ($doc) { $doc.Close($false) }; if ($word) { $word.Quit(); [System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($word) | Out-Null } }
How to Use
Step 1: Update the file path at the beginning of the script
$mdPath = "C:\Users\Documents\report.md"
Step 2: Copy the entire one-line script above
Step 3: Paste into PowerShell and press Enter
Step 4: Your Word document will be created in the same directory with a .docx extension
Supported Markdown Features
The script converts the following Markdown elements to their Word equivalents:
Headers
markdownDownloadCopy code# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
Converts to Word’s built-in Heading 1, 2, 3 styles (up to Heading 6)
Text Formatting
- Bold:
**text**→ text - Italic:
*text*→ text - Bold + Italic:
***text***→ text
Lists
Bullet Lists:
markdownDownloadCopy code- Item one
* Item two
+ Item three
Numbered Lists:
markdownDownloadCopy code1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
Horizontal Rules
markdownDownloadCopy code---
Creates a horizontal line with bottom border formatting
Special Characters
UTF-8 encoding support ensures proper handling of international characters, accents, and special symbols.
How It Works
Inline Formatting Parser
The script includes a custom function that processes inline formatting by:
- Parsing text character-by-character
- Identifying markdown formatting markers (
*,**,***) - Extracting the text within markers
- Applying appropriate Word formatting (Bold, Italic, or both)
- Removing the markdown syntax
Document Processing
The script:
- Reads the markdown file with UTF-8 encoding
- Processes each line sequentially
- Applies regex pattern matching to identify markdown elements
- Uses Word COM object methods to apply appropriate styles
- Handles blank lines to preserve document spacing
- Properly manages Word styles to prevent formatting conflicts
COM Object Management
The script properly initializes and cleans up Word COM objects to prevent memory leaks and ensure smooth execution.
Key Features
✅ No External Dependencies – Uses built-in PowerShell and Word COM automation
✅ UTF-8 Support – Handles international characters correctly
✅ Inline Formatting – Processes bold and italic within any text element
✅ Professional Output – Uses Word’s native styles for consistent formatting
✅ One-Line Execution – Paste and run without saving to a file
✅ Error Handling – Includes try-catch blocks for robust execution
✅ Memory Management – Properly releases COM objects after execution
Use Cases
This script is perfect for:
- Documentation Automation – Convert markdown documentation to Word format for distribution
- Report Generation – Transform markdown reports into professional Word documents
- Content Migration – Batch convert markdown files to Word format
- Workflow Integration – Incorporate into larger PowerShell automation scripts
- Quick Conversions – Ad-hoc conversion without installing additional tools
Customization Options
Change Output Location
Modify the $docPath variable to specify a different output location:
$docPath = "C:\Output\CustomName.docx"
Make Word Visible
Set $word.Visible = $true to watch the conversion process in real-time
Adjust Border Styling
Modify the Word constants to customize horizontal rule appearance:
$wdLineWidth150pt = 6 # Change border thickness
$wdColorBlack = 0 # Change border color
Requirements
- Windows operating system
- Microsoft Word installed
- PowerShell 5.1 or later
- Appropriate permissions to create COM objects
Technical Details
Word COM Constants Used:
wdCollapseEnd = 0– Collapse range to end positionwdBorderBottom = 4– Bottom border identifierwdLineStyleSingle = 1– Single line stylewdColorBlack = 0– Black color valuewdLineWidth150pt = 6– Border width (1.5pt)
Regex Patterns:
- Headers:
'^(#{1,6})\s+(.+)'– Requires space after # - Bullet Lists:
'^\s*[-*+]\s+(.+)'– Supports -, *, + markers - Numbered Lists:
'^\s*\d+\.\s+(.+)'– Matches numbered items - Horizontal Rules:
'^\s*[-]{3,}\s*$'– Three or more hyphens
Conclusion
This PowerShell one-liner provides a powerful, dependency-free solution for converting Markdown to Word documents. Whether you’re automating documentation workflows or need a quick conversion tool, this script delivers professional results with minimal setup.
Simply update the file path, paste the script, and let PowerShell handle the rest!
Tidbytez 