Export Your Library as Markdown Files

PastReads allows you to export your entire reading library as markdown files, creating a portable and flexible archive of your highlights and notes. When you export your library, each source (book, article, etc.) is saved as a separate markdown file. This makes it simple to import your highlights into other tools that support Markdown, like NotebookLM, or to create backups for offline reading.

How to Export

The export process is quick and the ZIP file will be named pastreads-markdown-export-DD-MM-YYYY.zip.

What Gets Exported

PastReads exports your complete reading library with full fidelity:

• 📚 All Sources: Books, articles, and any other sources from your PastReads library
• 📖 Source Metadata: Title, author, type, URL, and creation date
• 🔍 Highlights: Complete text with original formatting preserved, plus location and color when available
• 📝 Notes: Notes on highlights and notes on the book or article

Export File Structure

ZIP Archive Contents

The exported ZIP file contains one markdown file for each source in your library. Files are named using the source title, with special characters removed and spaces converted to underscores (e.g., Name_of_Book.md).

Markdown File Format

Each source file follows a consistent markdown structure:

Source Header

# Source Title

**Author:** Author Name
**Type:** Book/Article/etc.
**URL:** https://example.com
**Created:** DD/MM/YYYY

Highlights Section

Highlights are formatted as blockquotes with location information:

## Highlights

> This is the highlighted text with full formatting preserved.

*Location: 2297-2299*

*Color: Yellow*

**My Note:** This is a note attached to the highlight.
*Location: 2297*

---

> Parent highlight text [..] child highlight text [..] another child highlight.

**My Note:** This is a note attached to any of the (merged) highlights.
*Location: 2812*

---

> Another highlight from the same source.

---

Notes on the book or article

Notes that aren’t tied to a specific highlight appear in a separate section:

## Notes

- **Note:** This is a note about the source.

- **Note:** This is another note about the source.

Troubleshooting

Need any support?

If you encounter any issues with markdown export, please contact our support team. We're here to help ensure your reading insights are properly exported and accessible in the format you need.