---

name: pandoc description: This skill should be used when converting documents between formats (Markdown, DOCX, PDF, HTML, LaTeX, etc.) using pandoc. Use for format conversion, document generation, and preparing markdown for Google Docs or other word processors.

Pandoc Document Conversion Skill

Convert documents between formats using pandoc, the universal document converter.

Prerequisites

Copy# Check if pandoc is installed
pandoc --version

# Install via Homebrew if needed
brew install pandoc

Common Conversions

Markdown to Word (.docx)

Copy# Basic conversion
pandoc input.md -o output.docx

# With table of contents
pandoc input.md --toc -o output.docx

# With custom reference doc (for styling)
pandoc input.md --reference-doc=template.docx -o output.docx

# Standalone with metadata
pandoc input.md -s --metadata title="Document Title" -o output.docx

Markdown to PDF

Copy# Requires LaTeX - install one of:
#   brew install --cask basictex      # Smaller (~100MB)
#   brew install --cask mactex-no-gui # Full (~4GB)
# After install: eval "$(/usr/libexec/path_helper)" or new terminal

# Basic conversion (uses pdflatex)
pandoc input.md -o output.pdf

# With table of contents and custom margins
pandoc input.md -s --toc --toc-depth=2 -V geometry:margin=1in -o output.pdf

# Using xelatex (better Unicode support - box drawings, arrows, etc.)
export PATH="/Library/TeX/texbin:$PATH"
pandoc input.md --pdf-engine=xelatex -V geometry:margin=1in -o output.pdf

PDF Engine Selection:

Markdown to HTML

Critical: Always use -f gfm (GitHub Flavored Markdown) for proper line break and list handling. Standard markdown collapses consecutive lines into paragraphs.

Copy# RECOMMENDED: GitHub Flavored Markdown with full styling
pandoc -f gfm -s -H <(cat << 'STYLE'
<style>
body{font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,sans-serif;max-width:800px;margin:0 auto;padding:2em;line-height:1.6}
h1{border-bottom:2px solid #333;padding-bottom:0.3em}
h2{border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;padding-bottom:0.2em;margin-top:1.5em}
h3{margin-top:1.2em}
ul,ol{margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1.5em;padding-left:1em}
ul{list-style-type:disc}ol{list-style-type:decimal}
li{margin:0.3em 0}ul ul,ol ul{list-style-type:circle;margin:0.2em 0 0.2em 1em}
table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:1em 0}
th,td{border:1px solid #ddd;padding:8px;text-align:left}
th{background-color:#f5f5f5}
code{background-color:#f4f4f4;padding:2px 6px;border-radius:3px}
pre{background-color:#f4f4f4;padding:1em;overflow-x:auto;border-radius:5px}
blockquote{border-left:4px solid #ddd;margin:1em 0;padding-left:1em;color:#666}
</style>
STYLE
) input.md -o output.html

# Quick version (minimal styling)
pandoc -f gfm -s input.md -o output.html

# With hard line breaks (newlines become <br>)
pandoc -f markdown+hard_line_breaks -s input.md -o output.html

# Self-contained (embeds images/CSS)
pandoc -f gfm -s --embed-resources --standalone input.md -o output.html

Format Options:

HTML for Print-to-PDF (No LaTeX Required)

When LaTeX isn't available, create styled HTML and print to PDF from browser:

Copy# Create inline CSS file
cat > /tmp/print-style.css << 'EOF'
body { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif;
       max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2em; line-height: 1.6; }
h1 { border-bottom: 2px solid #333; padding-bottom: 0.3em; }
h2 { border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; padding-bottom: 0.2em; margin-top: 1.5em; }
h3 { margin-top: 1.2em; }
/* Lists - critical for proper rendering */
ul, ol { margin: 0.5em 0 0.5em 1.5em; padding-left: 1em; }
ul { list-style-type: disc; }
ol { list-style-type: decimal; }
li { margin: 0.3em 0; }
ul ul, ol ul { list-style-type: circle; margin: 0.2em 0 0.2em 1em; }
ul ol, ol ol { margin: 0.2em 0 0.2em 1em; }
ul ul ul, ol ul ul { list-style-type: square; }
/* Tables */
table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin: 1em 0; }
th, td { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 8px; text-align: left; }
th { background-color: #f5f5f5; }
/* Code */
code { background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 2px 6px; border-radius: 3px; }
pre { background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 1em; overflow-x: auto; border-radius: 5px; }
/* Other */
blockquote { border-left: 4px solid #ddd; margin: 1em 0; padding-left: 1em; color: #666; }
@media print { body { max-width: none; } }
EOF

# Convert with embedded styles (ALWAYS use -f gfm)
pandoc -f gfm input.md -s --toc --toc-depth=2 -c /tmp/print-style.css --embed-resources --standalone -o output.html

# Open and print to PDF (Cmd+P > Save as PDF)
open output.html

Word to Markdown

Copy# Extract markdown from docx
pandoc input.docx -o output.md

# With ATX-style headers
pandoc input.docx --atx-headers -o output.md

Useful Options

Format Identifiers

Google Docs Workflow

To get markdown into Google Docs with formatting preserved:

Copy# 1. Convert to docx
pandoc document.md -o document.docx

# 2. Upload to Google Drive
# 3. Right-click > Open with > Google Docs

Google Docs imports .docx files well and preserves:

• Headings
• Bold/italic
• Lists (bulleted and numbered)
• Tables
• Links
• Code blocks (as monospace)

PSI Document Conversion

For PSI documents with tables and complex formatting:

Copy# Convert PSI markdown to Word
pandoc PSI-document.md \
  --standalone \
  --toc \
  --toc-depth=2 \
  -o PSI-document.docx

# Open for review
open PSI-document.docx

Troubleshooting

Lists/Lines Running Together (HTML)

If bullet points, numbered lists, or consecutive lines merge into one paragraph:

Cause: Standard markdown treats consecutive lines as one paragraph. Lists need blank lines before them.

Fix: Use GitHub Flavored Markdown (-f gfm):

Copy# Always use -f gfm for reliable formatting
pandoc -f gfm -s input.md -o output.html

# For documents where newlines should be <br> tags
pandoc -f markdown+hard_line_breaks -s input.md -o output.html

Why this happens:

• Standard markdown: Line 1\nLine 2 → <p>Line 1 Line 2</p> (merged)
• GFM: Better list detection, handles edge cases
• +hard_line_breaks: Line 1\nLine 2 → Line 1<br>Line 2 (preserved)

Tables Not Rendering

Pandoc requires proper markdown table syntax:

Copy| Header 1 | Header 2 |
|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   |

Code Blocks Missing Highlighting

Use fenced code blocks with language identifier:

Copy```python
def example():
    pass

Copy
### PDF Generation Fails

**"pdflatex not found"** - Install LaTeX:
```bash
# Smaller option (~100MB)
brew install --cask basictex

# Full option (~4GB)
brew install --cask mactex-no-gui

# After install, update PATH
eval "$(/usr/libexec/path_helper)"
# Or open a new terminal

Unicode character errors (box-drawing, arrows, emojis):

Copy# Use xelatex instead of pdflatex
export PATH="/Library/TeX/texbin:$PATH"
pandoc input.md --pdf-engine=xelatex -o output.pdf

No LaTeX available - Use HTML print-to-PDF workflow:

Copypandoc input.md -s --toc -o output.html
open output.html
# Then Cmd+P > Save as PDF

Self-Test

Copy# Verify pandoc installation
pandoc --version | head -1

# Test basic conversion
echo "# Test\n\nHello **world**" | pandoc -f markdown -t html