How to export OneNote notebooks (to Markdown, or straight into Koru)

What can OneNote export?

It depends on the app. Microsoft's own data protection overview lists it per platform:

If you are on a work or school account, note Microsoft's own limit: exporting a notebook from OneNote for the web works only for notebooks on a personal OneDrive, not on OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint. For those, the Windows app is the way out.

How do I export a OneNote notebook on Windows?

The desktop app on Windows has the most options. Open the notebook, then:

1. Go to the page, section or notebook you want and choose File, then Export.
2. Under Export Current, choose Page, Section or Notebook.
3. Pick a format. For a backup you can open in OneNote again, choose OneNote Package (.onepkg) for a notebook or OneNote Section (.one) for a section. For something other apps can read, choose Word or PDF (Word is offered for pages and sections, not whole notebooks).
4. Choose Export, then where to save it.

Microsoft's page on exporting notes as a PDF walks through the same menu. A .onepkg keeps everything, including images and attached files, in one file; a PDF is a snapshot you can read anywhere but not edit as notes.

How do I export a notebook from OneNote for the web?

If the notebook is on a personal OneDrive, you don't need the Windows app:

1. Open OneNote for the web in your browser and sign in.
2. Right-click the notebook and choose Export notebook.
3. Confirm with Export. The notebook downloads as a ZIP.

Microsoft notes that large notebooks need several gigabytes of free space, and that a failed export can leave a ZIP with only an errors.txt in it. If a notebook is too large, it suggests splitting it into smaller notebooks first.

How do I export OneNote to Markdown?

There are three honest routes, none of them perfect:

• Word, then a converter. On Windows, export pages or sections as Word documents, then convert the .docx files to Markdown with an open-source document converter. It works one file at a time unless you script it, and images end up as separate files you have to keep track of.
• A community exporter. Several open-source projects on GitHub export whole notebooks to Markdown. They usually work one of two ways: through Microsoft's online API, which means signing in and granting the tool access to your notebooks, or by driving the OneNote desktop app on Windows. They are maintained by volunteers, so check how recently one was updated and what access it asks for before you point it at your notes.
• Import into an app that reads OneNote files, then export from there. This is the route Koru takes, below. You get Markdown out, plus a working copy of your notes in the meantime.

Whichever route you choose, expect some loss. OneNote pages are free-form canvases with ink and floating boxes; Markdown is plain text that flows top to bottom. Typed notes come across well. Handwriting and page layout do not.

How do I move OneNote notebooks into Koru?

Koru is a free, open-source (MPL-2.0) workspace app for Windows and macOS. Its OneNote import reads exported files directly, offline. It never signs in to Microsoft and does not use OneDrive or any Microsoft API. It accepts:

• .onepkg packages, exported from OneNote on Windows.
• ZIP files exported from OneNote for the web.
• .one section files, for example from a local notebook or a section export.
• .onetoc2, a local notebook's table of contents file, which imports the whole notebook from the section files next to it.

1. Export your notebook as above, or find the files of a notebook stored on your PC.
2. In Koru, choose Import, then Microsoft OneNote, and pick the files. You can also drag them into the Koru window.
3. Open the imported notebook. Anything that could not be converted is listed on a page named FAILED.

Notebooks, section groups, sections, pages and subpages become nested pages. Rich text, lists, tables, images and embedded files come across, and links between pages and sections in the same import become Koru links. Handwriting is kept as a visible placeholder, not converted to text, and equations keep their source text but may not render. Links to pages outside the import stay as clickable onenote: links and are listed on the FAILED page. Unlock password-protected sections in OneNote before you export them.

From there your notes live in a local database on your computer and work fully offline. When you want Markdown, select pages in Koru and choose Export, then Markdown (one .md file per page) or TextBundle (Markdown with its images in an assets folder). Details for every importer are on the imports page.

Which OneNote export should I use?

• A backup you can open in OneNote again: a .onepkg from Windows, or the ZIP from OneNote for the web.
• Something to read or share: PDF, from any version.
• Editable documents in Word: Word export from the Windows app, page by page or section by section.
• Markdown: a converter, a community exporter, or an import into an app such as Koru that exports Markdown.
• Leaving OneNote for good: export a .onepkg or ZIP first, keep it as your backup, and import a copy into the new app.

If you are still deciding where to go, our OneNote alternative page is honest about where OneNote is still better, pen input especially, and our list of the best note-taking apps for Windows compares the main options.