Aspose.Words for MarkItDown plugin

Aspose.Words for MarkItDown is a free plugin for MarkItDown based on Aspose.Words for Python via .Net commercial library.
The plugin is designed for parsing multiple document formats and converting them into Markdown suitable for AI processing.
The project is located in the GitHub repository.

Features

Aspose.Words for MarkItDown supports the following features:

Parsing new .doc, .rtf, .odt, .mhtml, .mobi and .azw3 formats
Improved conversion of .docx, .pdf, .html, .epub and .txt documents
Support all document components, including paragraphs, tables, images, headers, and footers
Fully integrated with MarkItDown tool. You don’t need to change your code to use the Aspose.Words plugin

Requirements

MarkItDown version 0.1.0 or higher
Aspose.Words for Python via .Net. This library is a commercial product

You’ll need to obtain valid license for Aspose.Words. The package will install this dependency, but you’re responsible for complying with Aspose’s licensing terms.

How to Install Aspose.Words for MarkItDown

To install Aspose.Words MCP Server via pip, run the following:

pip install aspose-words-markitdown

How to Use Aspose.Words for MarkItDown

Make sure the plugin is installed correctly:

List MarkItDown plugins with the command: markitdown --list-plugins
Check the plugin is installed:

Installed MarkItDown 3rd-party Plugins:
  * aspose_words_markitdown  (package: aspose_words_markitdown)

Use the original markitdown CLI in the common way. Just add the --use-plugins option to enable the plugin.
Convert a Single File:

markitdown test.doc -o out.md --use-plugins

Use Python API:

  
  from markitdown import MarkItDown  

  md = MarkItDown(enable_plugins=True) # Set to True to enable the plugin  
  result = md.convert("test.doc")  
  print(result.text_content)

Aspose.Words License

This package is licensed under the MIT License. However, it depends on Aspose.Words for Python via .Net library, which is proprietary, closed-source library.

You must obtain valid license for Aspose.Words for Python via .Net library. This repository does not include or distribute any proprietary components.

To activate your Aspose.Words for Python license, set the corresponding environment variable.

Refer to the OS-specific instructions below:

Unix-based (Linux/macOS):

export ASPOSE_WORDS_LICENSE_PATH="/path/to/license/aspose.words.lic"

Windows-based:

set ASPOSE_WORDS_LICENSE_PATH=c:\path\to\license\aspose.words.lic

Python API:

  
from aspose_words_markitdown import LicenseManager

LicenseManager().apply_license("/path/to/license/aspose.words.lic")

How to Run Tests

To run unit tests for Aspose.Words for MarkItDown, follow these steps:

Navigate to the package directory: From the root of the repository, change into the package directory:

cd /packages/aspose-words-markitdown/tests

Install test dependencies: Make sure pytest is installed:

pip install pytest

Run all the tests using pytest:

pytest

FAQ

Q: Can a Aspose.Total.NET license be used with the Aspose.Words for Python via .Net library?
A: No. A license file that is issued for the .NET version of Aspose.Total (e.g., Aspose.Total.NET.lic) is not valid for the Python‑via‑.Net wrapper. You must obtain a license specifically for Aspose.Words for Python via .Net (e.g., aspose.words.lic). Using a .NET‑only license will result in a “license is not valid for this product” error.
Q: How do I apply the Aspose.Words license when using the MarkItDown plugin in Python?
A: Set the environment variable ASPOSE_WORDS_LICENSE_PATH to the full path of your aspose.words.lic file, or call the helper class provided by the plugin:
```
from aspose_words_markitdown import LicenseManager
LicenseManager().apply_license("/full/path/to/aspose.words.lic")
```
This must be done before any conversion operation is executed.
Q: Why do I receive the error “RuntimeError: Proxy error(InvalidOperationException): The license is not valid for this product.”?
A: This error occurs when the license file does not match the product you are using. Common causes are: using a .NET‑only license, using an expired or corrupted license file, or the license file not being found at the path specified by the environment variable. Verify that you are using a valid Aspose.Words for Python via .Net license and that the path is correct.
Q: Does the MarkItDown plugin require a separate license from the Aspose.Words library?
A: No. The plugin itself is open‑source and distributed under the MIT license. It only depends on the commercial Aspose.Words for Python via .Net library, so you need a license only for that library, not for the plugin.
Q: How can I confirm that the plugin is correctly installed and recognized by MarkItDown?
A: Run markitdown --list-plugins. The output should contain a line similar to:
```
* aspose_words_markitdown  (package: aspose_words_markitdown)
```
If the plugin appears in the list, it is installed correctly. You can also perform a quick conversion with markitdown sample.doc -o out.md --use-plugins and verify that the output file is generated without errors.