Pandoc Reference
Pandoc is a universal document converter that can convert between numerous markup formats, including Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, Word, and many more.
Installation
Windows
# Using Chocolatey
choco install pandoc
# Using Scoop
scoop install pandoc
# Or download installer from https://pandoc.org/installing.html
macOS
# Using Homebrew
brew install pandoc
Linux
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install pandoc
# Fedora
sudo dnf install pandoc
# Or download from https://pandoc.org/installing.html
Basic Usage
Convert Markdown to HTML
# Basic conversion
pandoc input.md -o output.html
# Standalone document with headers
pandoc input.md -s -o output.html
# With custom CSS
pandoc input.md -s --css=style.css -o output.html
Convert to Other Formats
# To PDF (requires LaTeX)
pandoc input.md -s -o output.pdf
# To Word
pandoc input.md -s -o output.docx
# To LaTeX
pandoc input.md -s -o output.tex
# To EPUB
pandoc input.md -s -o output.epub
Convert from Other Formats
# HTML to Markdown
pandoc -f html -t markdown input.html -o output.md
# Word to Markdown
pandoc input.docx -o output.md
# LaTeX to HTML
pandoc -f latex -t html input.tex -o output.html
Common Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-f, --from <format> |
Input format |
-t, --to <format> |
Output format |
-s, --standalone |
Produce standalone document |
-o, --output <file> |
Output file |
--toc |
Include table of contents |
--toc-depth <n> |
TOC depth (default: 3) |
-N, --number-sections |
Number section headings |
--css <url> |
Link to CSS stylesheet |
--template <file> |
Use custom template |
--metadata <key>=<value> |
Set metadata |
--mathml |
Use MathML for math |
--mathjax |
Use MathJax for math |
-V, --variable <key>=<value> |
Set template variable |
Markdown Extensions
Pandoc supports many markdown extensions:
# Enable specific extensions
pandoc -f markdown+emoji+footnotes input.md -o output.html
# Disable specific extensions
pandoc -f markdown-pipe_tables input.md -o output.html
# Use strict markdown
pandoc -f markdown_strict input.md -o output.html
Common Extensions
| Extension | Description |
|---|---|
pipe_tables |
Pipe tables (default on) |
footnotes |
Footnote support |
emoji |
Emoji shortcodes |
smart |
Smart quotes and dashes |
task_lists |
Task list checkboxes |
strikeout |
Strikethrough text |
superscript |
Superscript text |
subscript |
Subscript text |
raw_html |
Raw HTML passthrough |
Templates
Using Built-in Templates
# View default template
pandoc -D html
# Use custom template
pandoc --template=mytemplate.html input.md -o output.html
Template Variables
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>$title$</title>
$for(css)$
<link rel="stylesheet" href="$css$">
$endfor$
</head>
<body>
$body$
</body>
</html>
YAML Metadata
Include metadata in your markdown files:
---
title: My Document
author: John Doe
date: 2025-01-28
abstract: |
This is the abstract.
---
# Introduction
Document content here...
Filters
Using Lua Filters
pandoc --lua-filter=filter.lua input.md -o output.html
Example Lua filter (filter.lua):
function Header(el)
if el.level == 1 then
el.classes:insert("main-title")
end
return el
end
Using Pandoc Filters
pandoc --filter pandoc-citeproc input.md -o output.html
Batch Conversion
Bash Script
#!/bin/bash
for file in *.md; do
pandoc "$file" -s -o "${file%.md}.html"
done
PowerShell Script
Get-ChildItem -Filter *.md | ForEach-Object {
$output = $_.BaseName + ".html"
pandoc $_.Name -s -o $output
}