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Installation

Turndown can be installed via npm for Node.js projects or loaded directly in the browser via CDN. Choose the installation method that best fits your project.

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Package Managers

Install Turndown using your preferred package manager: 
npm install turndown
The package includes multiple build formats to support different environments:
  • CommonJS: lib/turndown.cjs.js (main entry point)
  • ES Module: lib/turndown.es.js
  • UMD: lib/turndown.umd.js (Node.js) and lib/turndown.browser.umd.js (browser)
  • IIFE: dist/turndown.js (browser global)

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Browser Installation

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CDN (unpkg)

For quick browser usage, load Turndown directly from the unpkg CDN: 
<script src="https://unpkg.com/turndown/dist/turndown.js"></script>
<script>
  var turndownService = new TurndownService()
  var markdown = turndownService.turndown('<h1>Hello world!</h1>')
  console.log(markdown)
</script>
The CDN script creates a global TurndownService constructor that you can use immediately.

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RequireJS/AMD

If you’re using RequireJS or another AMD loader, use the UMD build: 
require.config({
  paths: {
    'turndown': 'node_modules/turndown/lib/turndown.browser.umd'
  }
})

require(['turndown'], function(TurndownService) {
  var turndownService = new TurndownService()
  var markdown = turndownService.turndown('<h1>Hello world!</h1>')
})

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Build from Source

To build Turndown from source:
1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/mixmark-io/turndown.git
cd turndown
2

Install dependencies

npm install
3

Build the project

npm run build
This generates all build formats:
  • CommonJS builds (CJS and browser CJS)
  • ES module builds (ES and browser ES)
  • UMD builds (Node.js and browser)
  • IIFE build for browsers
The built files will be available in the lib/ and dist/ directories.

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Verify Installation

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Node.js

After installing via npm, verify that Turndown is working: 
const TurndownService = require('turndown')

const turndownService = new TurndownService()
const markdown = turndownService.turndown('<h1>Hello world!</h1>')

console.log(markdown)
// Output: # Hello world!
If you see the Markdown output, Turndown is installed correctly!

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Browser

In the browser, check that the global TurndownService constructor is available: 
<script src="https://unpkg.com/turndown/dist/turndown.js"></script>
<script>
  if (typeof TurndownService !== 'undefined') {
    console.log('Turndown loaded successfully!')
  } else {
    console.error('Failed to load Turndown')
  }
</script>

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Package Configuration

The package.json specifies browser-specific builds that exclude Node.js dependencies: 
{
  "browser": {
    "@mixmark-io/domino": false,
    "./lib/turndown.cjs.js": "./lib/turndown.browser.cjs.js",
    "./lib/turndown.es.js": "./lib/turndown.browser.es.js",
    "./lib/turndown.umd.js": "./lib/turndown.browser.umd.js"
  }
}
This ensures that when bundling for the browser, the @mixmark-io/domino dependency (used for server-side HTML parsing) is excluded and the appropriate browser builds are used instead.

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Next Steps

Quickstart

Follow a step-by-step tutorial to start converting HTML to Markdown

Node.js Usage

Learn how to use Turndown in Node.js applications

Browser Usage

Explore browser-specific usage patterns

API Reference

Explore the complete API documentation

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