Convert Markdown to MediaWiki

Why Convert Markdown to MediaWiki?

Converting Markdown files to MediaWiki format is essential when you need to publish content on wiki platforms powered by MediaWiki software, including Wikipedia, Fandom, Wiktionary, and thousands of corporate and community wikis. While Markdown is the dominant markup language for developer documentation and blogging, MediaWiki markup is the standard for collaborative encyclopedic and reference content.

Markdown, created by John Gruber in 2004, uses intuitive symbols like # for headings, ** for bold, and [] for links. MediaWiki markup uses a different syntax: = for headings, ''' for bold, and [[]] for internal links. The conversion automatically translates all Markdown elements to their MediaWiki equivalents, including headings, formatting, lists, links, images, tables, and code blocks.

MediaWiki markup offers powerful features not available in standard Markdown, including templates for reusable content, categories for organizing articles, namespaces for content segregation, internal wiki linking, citation and reference systems, and infoboxes for structured data display. When your content needs to leverage these wiki-specific features, converting from Markdown provides an excellent starting point.

This conversion is particularly valuable for developers who write documentation in Markdown but need to contribute to wikis, for content creators migrating blog posts to wiki platforms, and for organizations transitioning their knowledge bases from Markdown-based systems to MediaWiki installations. The converter handles all syntax differences automatically, saving hours of manual reformatting.

Key Benefits of Converting Markdown to MediaWiki:

• Wikipedia Ready: Create content ready for Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects
• Wiki Platform Support: Compatible with Fandom, Miraheze, and all MediaWiki installations
• Syntax Translation: Headings, bold, italic, links, and tables automatically converted
• Template Foundation: Output can be enhanced with MediaWiki templates and categories
• Collaborative Publishing: Enable wiki-style collaborative editing of your content
• Internal Linking: Links can be adapted for wiki internal navigation
• Content Migration: Efficiently move documentation from Markdown to wiki platforms

Practical Examples

Example 1: Documentation to Wiki Article

Input Markdown file (article.markdown):

# Python Programming Language

**Python** is a high-level programming language.

## History
Created by *Guido van Rossum* in 1991.

## Features
- Easy to learn
- Dynamic typing
- Large standard library

[Official website](https://python.org)

Output MediaWiki file (article.mediawiki):

= Python Programming Language =

'''Python''' is a high-level programming language.

== History ==
Created by ''Guido van Rossum'' in 1991.

== Features ==
* Easy to learn
* Dynamic typing
* Large standard library

[https://python.org Official website]

Example 2: Table Conversion

Input Markdown file (comparison.markdown):

## Language Comparison

| Language | Year | Type     |
|----------|------|----------|
| Python   | 1991 | Dynamic  |
| Java     | 1995 | Static   |
| Rust     | 2010 | Static   |

Output MediaWiki file (comparison.mediawiki):

== Language Comparison ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Language !! Year !! Type
|-
| Python || 1991 || Dynamic
|-
| Java || 1995 || Static
|-
| Rust || 2010 || Static
|}

Example 3: Technical Guide Migration

Input Markdown file (guide.markdown):

## Getting Started

### Prerequisites
You need **Node.js** version 16+.

### Installation
```bash
npm install my-package
```

> **Note:** Run as administrator on Windows.

See the [API docs](api.md) for details.

Output MediaWiki file (guide.mediawiki):

== Getting Started ==

=== Prerequisites ===
You need '''Node.js''' version 16+.

=== Installation ===

npm install my-package


{{Quote|'''Note:''' Run as administrator on Windows.}}

See the [[API docs]] for details.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is MediaWiki markup?

A: MediaWiki markup is the formatting language used by MediaWiki software, which powers Wikipedia, Fandom, and thousands of other wiki sites. It uses syntax like = for headings, ''' for bold, '' for italic, [[]] for internal links, and {| for tables. It was developed specifically for collaborative encyclopedic content.

Q: Can I paste the output directly into Wikipedia?

A: Yes, the converted MediaWiki markup can be pasted directly into the Wikipedia editor (source editing mode). You may need to add Wikipedia-specific elements like categories, infoboxes, and citation templates, but the basic content structure will be ready for publishing.

Q: How are Markdown links converted to MediaWiki links?

A: Markdown external links like [text](url) are converted to MediaWiki format [url text]. Markdown internal links can be converted to MediaWiki internal links [[Page Name]]. The converter handles both link types appropriately for wiki platforms.

Q: Are Markdown tables converted to MediaWiki tables?

A: Yes, Markdown tables (GFM pipe tables) are converted to MediaWiki table markup using {| class="wikitable" syntax. The table structure, headers, and cell content are preserved. MediaWiki tables are more powerful and support features like spanning, styling, and sorting.

Q: What happens to Markdown code blocks?

A: Fenced code blocks (```) are converted to MediaWiki's <syntaxhighlight> tags or <code> tags. If a language is specified in the Markdown code fence, it's preserved in the lang attribute of the syntaxhighlight tag for proper syntax coloring on the wiki.

Q: Does the converter handle images?

A: Yes, Markdown image syntax  is converted to MediaWiki's [[File:filename]] syntax. Note that for the images to display on a wiki, the files must be uploaded to the wiki's file repository separately. The converter creates the correct file reference markup.

Q: Can I add Wikipedia templates after conversion?

A: Absolutely. The converted MediaWiki markup provides the content foundation, and you can enhance it with Wikipedia-specific templates like {{Infobox}}, {{Citation needed}}, {{Reflist}}, categories like [[Category:Topic]], and other wiki-specific elements after conversion.

Q: Which MediaWiki versions are supported?

A: The converter produces standard MediaWiki markup compatible with all MediaWiki versions from 1.0 through the latest release. The output works with Wikipedia, Fandom, Miraheze, and any self-hosted MediaWiki installation without modification.

Q: How are Markdown headings mapped to MediaWiki?

A: Markdown headings (#, ##, ###, etc.) are directly mapped to MediaWiki headings (=, ==, ===, etc.). A single # becomes = Heading =, double ## becomes == Heading ==, and so on through all six heading levels. The heading hierarchy is fully preserved.