skills.rest
github
githubOFFICIAL
Explore all skills by this author →
WebsiteGitHub

convert-excel-to-md

Converts Excel .xlsx workbooks into Markdown tables with per-sheet embedded image extraction.

38.5k|4.9k|Updated Jun 11, 2025
Search Tags:#excel#conversion#XLSX#Markdown#image extraction#markitdown#Batch processing
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill convert-excel-to-md
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: convert-excel-to-md
Source: https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/main/skills/convert-excel-to-md
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill convert-excel-to-md

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires markitdown, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Excel .xlsx files are zipped XML bundles that cannot be reliably read as plain text, making it hard for AI agents to analyze, summarize, or extract data from spreadsheets. This Skill converts workbooks into clean Markdown tables so their contents can be searched, reviewed, and analyzed accurately.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Workbook-to-Markdown Conversion: Renders every sheet as its own Markdown table using Microsoft's MarkItDown library.
  • Embedded Image Extraction: Pulls real embedded pictures from the workbook and places them under the correct sheet heading in a self-contained output folder.
  • Batch Processing: Converts a single file or an entire folder of workbooks, with optional recursive subdirectory scanning.
  • Use Case: A user shares a folder of quarterly budget spreadsheets and asks for a summary. The Skill converts each .xlsx into Markdown, after which the agent reads the output to answer questions about the data.

Quick Start

Ask the agent to convert the attached budget.xlsx file to Markdown and summarize its contents.

Frequently Asked Questions about convert-excel-to-md

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I convert an Excel file to Markdown in Python?▼

Run the bundled convert_excel_to_md.py script with the path to your .xlsx file. It uses Microsoft's MarkItDown library to render each sheet as a Markdown table and writes the output to a folder next to the source file.

How to convert multiple Excel workbooks to Markdown at once?▼

Pass a folder path instead of a file to the conversion script to enable batch mode. Every .xlsx file in the folder is converted into its own output folder, and the --recursive flag also processes subdirectories.

Does MarkItDown extract images from Excel files?▼

MarkItDown's XLSX converter only extracts sheet data as tables and has no image support. This Skill's script separately extracts embedded raster pictures from the workbook's zip structure and places them under the correct sheet heading.

Can I convert legacy .xls files to Markdown?▼

No, only the modern .xlsx format is supported. Legacy binary .xls files use a different format, so you must re-save them as .xlsx in Excel via File > Save As > Excel Workbook before converting.

Why do Excel charts not appear in the Markdown output?▼

Native Excel charts are chart objects, not embedded pictures, so they are not extracted as images. Only raster images stored in the workbook's xl/media folder are extracted; rendering charts would require Excel or LibreOffice.

Why does the conversion fail with ModuleNotFoundError markitdown?▼

The markitdown package is not installed in the current Python environment. Install it by running python -m pip install -r scripts/requirements.txt, which pulls in markitdown[xlsx] with pandas and openpyxl.

Related Skills

Explore More Data & Analytics Skills→
pascallammerspascallammers
1

document-processing-xlsx

Creates, parses, and manipulates Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls) using SheetJS.

Community
Intermediate
malue-aimalue-ai
36

literature-reviewer

Compare academic papers to generate literature review tables and identify research gaps.

Official
Intermediate
hmzainjamilhmzainjamil
1

batch-convert

Convert office and document files between common formats in batch.

Community
Advanced
w7panelw7panel
182

xlsx

Automate Excel file creation, editing, and analysis with openpyxl and pandas.

Official
Advanced