Quick Summary

Goal: Convert Word DOCX to Markdown, or Markdown to Word DOCX, through one entry point.

Workflow:

1. Pick a direction — --to markdown (DOCX in, Markdown out) or --to docx (Markdown in, DOCX out)
2. Install that direction — each one has its own package.json; install only the one you need
3. Convert — run scripts/convert.cjs --to <direction> with the direction's own options
4. Output — the converter returns JSON with the success status and output path

Key Rules:

• --to is required. There is no default direction — converting the wrong way silently is worse than an error.
• Every other argument is passed straight to the chosen converter, so each direction keeps its own CLI.
• Dependencies are per direction: --to markdown never pulls in the DOCX writer, and vice versa.

Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).

Contents

• Quick Summary
• docx-convert
• Directions
• Installation Required
• Quick Start
• CLI Options
• Features
• Conversion Pipeline (--to markdown)
• Output
• Compatibility (--to docx)
• Limitations
• Troubleshooting
• Tests
• Closing Reminders

docx-convert

Convert Microsoft Word (.docx) files to GitHub-Flavored Markdown, and Markdown files to editable Word documents with tables, code blocks, images and LaTeX math.

Directions

Flag	Converts	Lives in	Dependencies
--to markdown	DOCX → Markdown	to-markdown/	mammoth, turndown, turndown-plugin-gfm
--to docx	Markdown → DOCX	to-docx/	markdown-docx, gray-matter

Installation Required

Each direction installs separately. Install only the one you need:

# DOCX -> Markdown
cd .claude/skills/docx-convert/to-markdown
npm install

# Markdown -> DOCX
cd .claude/skills/docx-convert/to-docx
npm install

ck init (which runs install.sh) handles every skill at once.

Quick Start

# DOCX -> Markdown
node .claude/skills/docx-convert/scripts/convert.cjs --to markdown --input ./document.docx

# DOCX -> Markdown, extracting images to a folder instead of inlining base64
node .claude/skills/docx-convert/scripts/convert.cjs --to markdown -i ./doc.docx --images ./images/

# Markdown -> DOCX
node .claude/skills/docx-convert/scripts/convert.cjs --to docx --input ./README.md

# Markdown -> DOCX with a custom theme
node .claude/skills/docx-convert/scripts/convert.cjs --to docx -i ./doc.md --theme ./theme.json

--to=markdown and --to markdown are equivalent. A missing or unknown --to prints the valid directions and exits 1.

CLI Options

Dispatcher

Option	Description	Default
--to	Conversion direction: markdown or docx	(required)

--to markdown (DOCX → Markdown)

Option	Short	Description	Default
--input	-i	Input DOCX file path	(required)
--output	-o	Output markdown file path	{input}.md
--images		Directory for extracted images	inline base64
--help	-h	Show help message

--to docx (Markdown → DOCX)

Option	Short	Description	Default
--input	-i	Input markdown file	(required)
--output	-o	Output DOCX path	{input}.docx
--theme	-t	Custom theme JSON	built-in
--title		Document title	filename
--help	-h	Show help

Run scripts/convert.cjs --to <direction> --help to see a direction's full help.

Features

DOCX → Markdown

• GFM Tables: Word tables become markdown tables
• Images: embedded images extracted (base64 inline, or written to a folder)
• Lists: ordered and unordered lists preserved
• Code Blocks: monospace text converted to code blocks
• Links and Headings: hyperlinks and heading levels maintained

Markdown → DOCX

• GFM Support: tables, strikethrough, task lists
• Code Blocks: syntax preserved with a monospace font
• Images: local and URL images embedded
• Math: LaTeX equations rendered by default ($...$, $$...$$)
• Frontmatter: YAML metadata supplies the title
• No System Dependencies: pure JavaScript, no Chrome needed

Both directions work on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Conversion Pipeline (--to markdown)

DOCX → mammoth → HTML → turndown → Markdown

The two-stage conversion follows mammoth's official recommendation for best results.

Output

Both directions return JSON on success:

{
    "success": true,
    "input": "/path/to/input.docx",
    "output": "/path/to/output.md",
    "stats": {
        "images": 3,
        "tables": 2,
        "headings": 5
    }
}

--to docx omits stats. On failure both return { "success": false, "error": "..." } and exit 1.

Compatibility (--to docx)

Generated DOCX files open in Microsoft Word (2007+), Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer and Apple Pages.

Limitations

• Complex layouts (columns, text boxes) may not preserve structure
• Merged table cells produce basic markdown tables
• Comments and track changes are stripped
• Some formatting (fonts, colors) is lost in conversion

Troubleshooting

Missing dependencies: the error output carries a hint with the exact cd … && npm install command for the direction you invoked.

Tests

cd .claude/skills/docx-convert && node tests/dispatcher.test.cjs   # routing and --to validation
cd .claude/skills/docx-convert/to-markdown && node tests/run-tests.cjs
cd .claude/skills/docx-convert/to-docx && node tests/run-tests.cjs

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[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting. This prevents context loss from long files. Keep task depth proportional to the work.

Closing Reminders

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Convert Word DOCX to Markdown, or Markdown to Word DOCX, through one entry point — scripts/convert.cjs --to {markdown|docx}.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION --to is required — never guess the direction for the user IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION each direction installs its own dependencies; the error hint names the exact directory IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using TaskCreate BEFORE starting IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite file:line evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act) IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality

[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.