Question 1

How do I add custom rules for specific HTML tags in Turndown?

Accepted Answer

Use the addRule method with a filter and replacement function. For example, to convert a custom tag, define a rule that selects the element and returns the desired Markdown, as shown in the README's extending rules section.

Question 2

Does Turndown support GitHub Flavored Markdown out of the box?

Accepted Answer

No, GFM support is not included by default. You need to install and use the turndown-plugin-gfm plugin, which adds features like tables, task lists, and strikethrough via the use() method.

Question 3

Turndown vs other libraries like html2markdown: which should I use?

Accepted Answer

Turndown offers more customization and a plugin system, making it flexible for tailored conversions. html2markdown might be simpler but less extensible. Choose Turndown if you need fine-grained control over output.

Question 4

How to handle escaping problems when converting HTML with special characters?

Accepted Answer

Turndown automatically escapes Markdown characters, but you can override TurndownService.prototype.escape to customize behavior. The README warns that default escaping is aggressive, so adjustments may be needed for accurate output.

Question 5

Can Turndown convert HTML tables to Markdown tables?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only with the tables plugin from turndown-plugin-gfm. Without it, tables will be converted using default rules, which typically don't produce Markdown table syntax and may output plain text.

Question 6

What's the best way to filter out unwanted elements during conversion?

Accepted Answer

Use the remove() method to specify elements to ignore, or keep() to retain them as HTML. Filters can be strings, arrays, or functions, allowing precise control over what gets converted or removed.

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