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markdown-url

am-will/codex-skills

Route websites through markdown.new to extract clean, copy-friendly Markdown content from docs and articles.

What is markdown-url?

This skill rewrites URLs to pass through markdown.new, converting web pages into readable Markdown format. Use it when you need to read documentation, blog posts, changelogs, or GitHub issues in a cleaner, extractable form—but skip it for authenticated workflows, interactive sites, or content behind paywalls.

  • Rewrites any URL by prefixing it with https://markdown.new/ to generate a Markdown-friendly view
  • Extracts page content as clean Markdown for summaries, notes, and copy-paste workflows
  • Automatically falls back to the original URL if markdown.new blocks or fails (401/403/429, CAPTCHA, empty content)
  • Handles query strings and fragments correctly in the rewrite
  • Includes a CLI helper script to convert URLs on demand

How to install markdown-url

npx skills add https://github.com/am-will/codex-skills --skill markdown-url
Claude Code
Cursor
Windsurf
Cline

How to use markdown-url

  1. 1.When you need to visit a website to read content, rewrite the URL by prefixing it with https://markdown.new/
  2. 2.Visit the rewritten URL first (e.g., https://markdown.new/https://example.com/docs)
  3. 3.Extract the Markdown content from the rendered page
  4. 4.Use the extracted Markdown for summaries, quotes, or notes
  5. 5.If markdown.new returns a block signal (401/403/429, CAPTCHA, empty content), immediately fall back to the original URL

Use cases

Good for
  • Reading and summarizing technical documentation or API guides without clutter
  • Extracting Markdown from blog posts or changelogs for note-taking
  • Converting GitHub issues and PR discussions into readable text format
  • Pulling content from articles and guides for structured copying
  • Accessing read-only web pages in a cleaner, machine-friendly format
Who it's for
  • Developers and engineers who frequently reference online documentation
  • Technical writers and researchers gathering content from multiple sources
  • Anyone using coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor) to automate web research
  • Teams that need to extract and reformat web content into Markdown

markdown-url FAQ

When should I use markdown.new vs. the original URL?

Use markdown.new for read-only pages like documentation, blog posts, changelogs, and GitHub issues. Skip it for login flows, OAuth, checkouts, file uploads, interactive dashboards, or anything requiring session state.

What happens if markdown.new blocks my request?

If you see HTTP 401/403/429, CAPTCHA, or empty/partial content, stop retrying and switch to the original URL immediately.

Does this work with local file paths or non-HTTP URLs?

No. This skill only rewrites absolute HTTP(S) URLs. Local paths like ./README.md and non-HTTP schemes are left unchanged.

Can I use this for API endpoints or authenticated workflows?

No. This skill is for reading and extracting text from web pages. For APIs, OAuth, or anything requiring cookies/login state, use the original URL.

Is there a command-line tool to convert URLs?

Yes. Run `node skills/markdown-url/scripts/markdown-url.js "https://example.com/docs"` to convert a URL to its markdown.new-prefixed form.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from am-will/codex-skills.


name: markdown-url description: | Route any website you need to visit through markdown.new by prefixing the URL.

WHEN TO USE:

  • You would normally open a website link to read content (docs, blog posts, changelogs, GitHub issues, etc.)
  • You need a cleaner, Markdown-friendly view for copying notes or summarizing

markdown.new URL Prefix

Whenever you need to visit a website URL, you must:

  1. rewrite it to go through https://markdown.new/, then
  2. visit the rewritten URL, and
  3. pull the Markdown content from that page for use in your answer/notes.

Rewrite Rule

  1. Normalize the destination into an absolute URL with a scheme (https:// preferred).
  2. Prefix it with https://markdown.new/ (do not drop the original scheme).

Examples

  • https://example.com -> https://markdown.new/https://example.com
  • https://example.com/docs?a=1#b -> https://markdown.new/https://example.com/docs?a=1#b
  • example.com -> https://markdown.new/https://example.com

Agent Workflow (Required)

When you would normally open a website to read it:

  1. Produce the rewritten markdown.new URL.
  2. Visit the rewritten URL first (not the original), but only when it is likely to work (see Policy below).
  3. Extract the page content from the Markdown view (the rendered Markdown and/or the raw Markdown).
  4. Use that extracted Markdown as the source for summaries, quotes, checklists, or copy/pasteable notes.

If the markdown.new view fails to load or breaks critical functionality, fall back to the original URL for browsing, but still prefer markdown.new for any content extraction if possible.

Policy: When To Use markdown.new (Required)

Do NOT route every site through markdown.new. Use it primarily for "read-only" pages where you want clean, extractable text:

  • Documentation pages
  • Blog posts / announcements / changelogs
  • GitHub issues/PR discussions (when you just need readable text)
  • Articles and guides

Skip markdown.new and go straight to the original URL when the destination is likely to be blocked or requires the original site behavior:

  • Login, OAuth, checkout, payment, or any authenticated workflow
  • Sites that gate content behind JS apps, CAPTCHAs, bot detection, or paywalls
  • File uploads, forms, editors, dashboards, interactive widgets
  • Anything where cookies/session state must be preserved

Block/Failure Signals (Treat As Blocked)

If you try markdown.new and see any of the below, stop retrying and fall back to the original URL:

  • HTTP 401/403/429, "Access denied", "Forbidden", "rate limited"
  • CAPTCHA / "verify you are human"
  • Empty/partial content that clearly does not match the page
  • Redirect loops or repeated navigation failures

Fallback Behavior

  1. Attempt markdown.new once when appropriate.
  2. On block/failure, immediately switch to the original URL for browsing.
  3. If you still need extractable text, try to extract from the original page (reader mode / copy text) and clearly note that markdown.new was blocked.

Notes / Exceptions

  • Keep this for reading/browsing. For API endpoints, OAuth flows, file uploads, or anything that depends on cookies/login state, use the original URL if the proxy breaks functionality.
  • Do not rewrite local paths (./README.md) or non-HTTP(S) schemes.

Optional CLI Helper

Convert a URL into its markdown.new-prefixed form:

node skills/markdown-url/scripts/markdown-url.js "https://example.com/docs"