CONTENT MIGRATION GUIDE · 8 MIN READ

Markdown to HTML and back: what survives conversion

Markdown describes common document structure with plain text; HTML can represent both content and complex presentation. Conversion works best when the source uses simple headings, paragraphs, lists, links and emphasis.

Define the supported subset

Small converters may omit tables, footnotes, fenced code blocks and embedded HTML. Document the subset before a migration and test one example of every source feature.

Separate conversion from sanitization

Escaping raw HTML prevents it from becoming active markup in a simple converter. A production CMS still needs a trusted sanitizer and content policy before rendering user-supplied HTML.

Expect presentation loss on the way back

HTML classes, layout containers and CSS do not have direct Markdown equivalents. HTML to Markdown should preserve readable content, not recreate the visual page.

Worked example

A level-one heading and two unordered-list items map cleanly in both directions; a multi-column table or styled card does not.

Limitations to review

• Complex layouts are flattened.
• Malformed HTML may need manual cleanup.
• Generated HTML must be validated for its destination.