ToMarkdown
RST Conversion Tool

Markdown to RSTConverter

Transform your Markdown documents into reStructuredText format. Convert headers, lists, code blocks, and text formatting to RST markup for Sphinx documentation and Python projects.

Instant Conversion

Real-time RST generation

Full Syntax Support

Headers, lists, code blocks, and more

Sphinx Compatible

Perfect for Python documentation

Live Markdown to RST Converter

Enter Markdown text on the left, and the reStructuredText markup will be generated in real-time on the right

Markdown Input
reStructuredText Output
Loading converter...
Input: 0 characters
Output: 0 characters
Ready-to-Use Templates

RST Document Templates

Choose from our collection of professionally crafted templates. Each template is optimized for reStructuredText conversion and includes best practices for documentation.

Documentation

📚

Sphinx Documentation

Standard Sphinx documentation template with sections and directives

sphinxdocumentationpython
Recommended: SPHINX
Use Template
🎓

Tutorial Guide

Step-by-step tutorial template with code examples

tutorialguidelearning
Recommended: RST
Use Template
📝

README Template

Comprehensive README template for projects

readmeprojectdocumentation
Recommended: RST
Use Template

Technical

🔌

API Documentation

RESTful API documentation template with endpoints and examples

apirestdocumentation
Recommended: SPHINX
Use Template
⚙️

Technical Specification

Detailed technical specification document template

specificationtechnicalarchitecture
Recommended: DOCUTILS
Use Template

Click any template to automatically load it into the converter and see the RST output.

How to Convert Markdown to RST

Follow these steps to convert your Markdown documents to reStructuredText format effectively.

1

Understand RST Basics

Learn the fundamentals of reStructuredText markup syntax

  • RST uses indentation to define structure
  • Headers are created with underlines using =, -, ~, etc.
  • Lists use *, -, or + for bullets and numbers for ordered lists
  • Code blocks are indented with 4 spaces or use .. code:: directive
2

Prepare Your Markdown

Optimize your Markdown for the best RST conversion

  • Use consistent heading levels (# ## ### etc.)
  • Ensure proper code block formatting with language tags
  • Use standard Markdown list syntax
  • Include proper line breaks between sections
3

Convert and Review

Use our tool to convert and verify the output

  • Paste or upload your Markdown content
  • Review the converted output carefully
  • Download or copy the RST markup

Understanding Markdown and reStructuredText: A Tale of Two Markup Languages

In the world of documentation and technical writing, two markup languages have emerged as popular choices for developers and writers alike. Understanding their origins, philosophies, and strengths can help you make informed decisions about when and why to convert between them.

The Birth of Markdown: Simplicity by Design

Markdown was created in 2004 by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz with a clear mission: to create an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format that could be converted to structurally valid HTML. The philosophy behind Markdown was revolutionary in its simplicity – it aimed to be so intuitive that even non-technical users could write formatted text without learning complex syntax.

This simplicity quickly made Markdown the go-to choice for README files, GitHub documentation, blogs, and forums. Its widespread adoption across platforms like GitHub, Reddit, and StackOverflow cemented its position as the most recognizable markup language for developers. However, this popularity came with a cost: the emergence of numerous "flavors" of Markdown, each with its own extensions and interpretations, leading to inconsistency across implementations.

reStructuredText: Power Through Precision

Two years before Markdown's creation, in 2002, David Goodger introduced reStructuredText (reST) as part of the Python community's efforts to create better documentation tools. Unlike Markdown's focus on simplicity, reStructuredText was designed with extensibility and power in mind. It was built to be a complete markup language capable of handling complex documentation needs while maintaining a single, standardized specification.

reStructuredText became the foundation for Sphinx, the documentation generator that powers the official Python documentation and countless other projects. Its integration with Docutils provides a robust ecosystem for creating professional documentation with features like automatic cross-referencing, sophisticated table formatting, and extensible directives.

Why Convert from Markdown to reStructuredText?

While Markdown excels in simplicity and widespread adoption, there comes a point in many projects where its limitations become apparent. The decision to convert from Markdown to reStructuredText typically arises when teams need more sophisticated documentation features that Markdown simply cannot provide.

Advanced Documentation Features: reStructuredText offers built-in support for features that would require custom HTML or JavaScript in Markdown. These include advanced table formatting with spanning cells, automatic footnotes and citations, sophisticated cross-referencing systems, and automatic table of contents generation. For technical documentation that needs to maintain professional standards, these features are invaluable.

Standardization and Consistency: One of reStructuredText's greatest strengths is its single, well-defined specification. Unlike Markdown's numerous flavors (GitHub Flavored Markdown, CommonMark, MultiMarkdown, etc.), reStructuredText provides consistent behavior across all implementations. This eliminates the frustration of syntax working differently across platforms and tools.

Extensibility and Custom Directives: reStructuredText's directive system allows for powerful extensions without breaking the core syntax. This means you can add custom functionality specific to your documentation needs while maintaining compatibility with standard tools and parsers.

Common Conversion Scenarios

The most common scenario for conversion occurs in Python projects. Many developers start with a simple README.md file for their GitHub repository, but as the project grows and they want to publish to PyPI or create comprehensive documentation with Sphinx, they discover that reStructuredText offers significant advantages. Converting README.md to README.rst not only provides better integration with Python's documentation ecosystem but also enables richer formatting options.

Technical documentation teams often find themselves migrating from Markdown-based solutions to Sphinx-powered documentation systems. This transition typically happens when teams need features like API documentation generation, multi-language support, sophisticated cross-referencing, or professional PDF output – all areas where reStructuredText and Sphinx excel.

Content migration projects also benefit from Markdown to reStructuredText conversion. Organizations consolidating documentation from various sources often choose reStructuredText as their target format due to its superior handling of complex document structures and its ability to maintain consistency across large documentation sets.

Our Conversion Tool: Bridging the Gap

The interactive converter you see above this guide uses Pandoc, the universal document converter, to ensure accurate and reliable transformation from Markdown to reStructuredText. Pandoc is widely regarded as the gold standard for document conversion, capable of preserving formatting nuances and handling complex structures that simpler converters might miss.

Our tool is designed with real-world workflows in mind. Whether you're a Python developer looking to migrate your README file, a documentation team adopting Sphinx, or someone learning reStructuredText syntax through examples, the converter provides real-time feedback and immediate results. The template gallery offers starting points for common document types, while the file upload feature handles batch conversions efficiently.

The beauty of this conversion tool lies not just in its technical capabilities, but in its role as a bridge between two documentation philosophies. It allows teams to evolve their documentation practices gradually, moving from Markdown's simplicity to reStructuredText's power without losing their existing content or starting from scratch.

Syntax Conversion Examples

Headers

MARKDOWN
# Main Title
## Section Title
### Subsection Title
RST
Main Title
==========

Section Title
-------------

Subsection Title
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lists

MARKDOWN
- Item 1
- Item 2
  - Nested item
  - Another nested item

1. First item
2. Second item
RST
* Item 1
* Item 2

  * Nested item
  * Another nested item

1. First item
2. Second item

Code Blocks

MARKDOWN
```python
def hello_world():
    print("Hello, World!")
```
RST
.. code-block:: python

   def hello_world():
       print("Hello, World!")

Links

MARKDOWN
[Link text](https://example.com)
[Reference link][ref]

[ref]: https://example.com
RST
`Link text <https://example.com>`_

`Reference link`_

.. _Reference link: https://example.com

💡 Best Practices for RST Conversion

Before Converting:

  • Clean up inconsistent formatting
  • Use standard Markdown syntax
  • Check for proper heading hierarchy
  • Validate code block languages

After Converting:

  • Review RST syntax for accuracy
  • Test with Sphinx if using for documentation
  • Adjust indentation if needed
  • Verify all links work correctly
Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about converting Markdown to reStructuredText.

reStructuredText (RST) is a powerful markup language designed for technical documentation, originally created for Python projects. It offers advanced features like cross-references, automatic table of contents, footnotes, and extensible directives that Markdown lacks. RST is the standard format for Sphinx documentation and provides better structure for complex technical documents.

Our converter uses Pandoc, the industry-standard universal document converter, which provides highly accurate conversions. It handles most standard Markdown syntax including headers, lists, code blocks, links, and images. However, some complex formatting or non-standard Markdown extensions may require manual adjustment after conversion.

Images are converted from Markdown format ![alt](src) to RST image directives .. image:: src with alt text preserved. Links are converted from [text](url) format to RST external links `text <url>`_. You may need to adjust image paths and add RST-specific options like :width: or :scale: after conversion.

Yes, our converter handles most GitHub Flavored Markdown features including tables, task lists, strikethrough text, and fenced code blocks. Tables are converted to RST table format, though complex tables may need manual formatting adjustments. GFM-specific features like mentions (@username) will be converted as plain text.

Markdown fenced code blocks (```language) are converted to RST code-block directives (.. code-block:: language). Indented code blocks become literal blocks in RST. The syntax highlighting language is preserved when specified, making your code examples compatible with Sphinx documentation.

First, ensure your original Markdown follows standard syntax. Common issues include inconsistent heading levels, malformed tables, or non-standard extensions. After conversion, check for: multi-line titles (should be single line), standalone asterisks, and table formatting. You can manually adjust the RST output as needed.

Absolutely! All conversions happen locally in your browser using WebAssembly technology. Your documents are never uploaded to our servers or stored anywhere. The entire conversion process is client-side, ensuring your content remains completely private and secure.

Yes! The converted RST is fully compatible with Sphinx, the most popular documentation generator for Python projects. The output includes Sphinx-compatible directives and formatting. You may need to add Sphinx-specific elements like toctree directives manually for navigation structure.

RST has strict indentation rules for nested lists. Our converter handles basic nesting, but complex structures may need adjustment. Ensure consistent indentation (use spaces, not tabs) and proper blank lines between list items. For definition lists and complex structures, manual refinement may be needed.

You can upload Markdown files (.md, .markdown) or paste Markdown text directly. The tool supports standard Markdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown, and most common Markdown variants. Files should be under 1MB in size for optimal performance.

Currently, our web interface converts one file at a time to ensure quality and allow for review of each conversion. For batch processing, you can use our tool multiple times or consider using Pandoc directly from the command line for automated workflows.

RST and Markdown handle special characters differently. Some typography features like smart quotes, em-dashes, and Unicode characters may be converted to their RST equivalents. This is normal behavior and usually improves compatibility with documentation systems.

RST uses different syntax for preserving line breaks. Poetry, addresses, or text where line breaks matter should use line blocks (lines starting with |). Code blocks and literal text are preserved automatically. The converter handles most cases, but manual adjustment may be needed for special formatting.

Key differences include: RST has more powerful cross-referencing, supports automatic table generation, includes built-in directives for notes/warnings, and has stricter syntax rules. RST is more verbose but offers greater control over document structure, making it ideal for technical documentation and books.

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