The HTML-to-Markdown CLI you can
brew install
Clean Copy converts messy HTML into clean Markdown, CSV, WikiLinks or plain text — straight from your terminal. Free, open source, no account.
Install
brew install mahope/clean-copy/clean-copyPrefer npm? npm install -g github:mahope/clean-copy-cli does the same thing. Binaries are also on the releases page.
Try it in ten seconds
$ echo '<h1>Hello</h1><p>Some <b>bold</b> text</p>' | clean-copy
# Hello
# Some **bold** text
$ curl -s https://example.com | clean-copy -m csv # tables → CSV
$ pbpaste | clean-copy # clipboard → MarkdownFour output modes
Markdown (default), CSV with RFC 4180 escaping, Obsidian WikiLinks (-w) and plain text (-m text). Switch with one flag.
Built for pipes
Reads stdin or -i file, writes stdout or -o file. Drops into shell scripts, cron and GitHub Actions without glue code.
Smart cleanup built in
-s fixes smart quotes, em-dashes and non-breaking spaces — the junk that breaks linters and diffing.
Works everywhere
Native arm64 + x86_64 macOS builds, Linuxbrew, Windows via WSL. Same flags on every platform.
Full flag reference
Every mode, flag and example lives on the one-page CLI reference card. Want to convert web pages instead of files? Try the free browser-based tool — no install at all.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install Clean Copy with Homebrew?
Run: brew install mahope/clean-copy/clean-copy. That adds the tap, downloads the formula and puts the clean-copy command on your PATH. Verify with clean-copy --version.
Does it work on Apple Silicon?
Yes. The formula ships native arm64 binaries as well as Intel builds, so it runs fast on both M-series Macs and older Intel machines. It also works on Linux via Linuxbrew and on Windows under WSL.
Is it really free?
Yes — the CLI core is open source (MIT). You can convert HTML to Markdown, CSV, WikiLinks or plain text as much as you like. No account, no telemetry.
Can I use it in scripts and CI?
Yes. Clean Copy reads stdin or a file and writes stdout or a file, so it drops straight into pipes, cron jobs and GitHub Actions. There is also an official GitHub Action: mahope/clean-copy-cli@v1.