How-to
Send Markdown to your Kindle
A Kindle won't open a .md file — but Markdown converts beautifully to EPUB, and Amazon delivers EPUB by email. Three routes that work, from hands-on to one step.
Why .md needs a step in between
Amazon's Send to Kindle accepts EPUB, PDF, DOC/DOCX, TXT, RTF, and HTML — not Markdown. Renaming notes.md to notes.txt technically delivers, but headings, lists, links, and code arrive as flat text. The fix every route shares: turn the Markdown into an EPUB first, then deliver that.
Route 1 — Pandoc, for the command line
Then email notes.epub to your @kindle.com address (the sender must be on your Approved Personal Document E-mail List), or drop it on Amazon's Send to Kindle page. Free and scriptable; you handle the conversion flags, metadata, and delivery yourself.
Route 2 — Calibre, for a GUI and a library
Import the .md, convert to EPUB, and use Calibre's built-in email delivery (or the Send to Kindle apps). The right tool when you want a permanent local library with cover and metadata editing — heavier than the job needs if you just want one document on the reader.
Route 3 — Sendle, when you want it in one step
Paste the Markdown at sendle.app — or, in Claude Code, just say "send notes.md to my kindle." Sendle converts it (headings, lists, links, and code blocks survive), emails the EPUB, and it lands in a minute or two. Free for 7 books a month; the paste route needs nothing installed.
Which route?
All three end in the same place — a clean EPUB in your Kindle library. Pandoc if you live in the terminal and want full control; Calibre if you want a managed library; Sendle if you want the conversion and the delivery handled in one step.
Common questions
Can a Kindle open Markdown (.md) files? +
Not directly. Send to Kindle accepts EPUB, PDF, DOC/DOCX, TXT, RTF, and HTML — but not .md. Convert the Markdown to EPUB first (Pandoc, Calibre, or Sendle), then deliver it by email or the Send to Kindle apps.
What's the best format for Markdown on a Kindle? +
EPUB. It keeps headings, lists, links, and code blocks as real structure, reflows on any screen size, and Amazon accepts it everywhere documents are sent.
How do I email a document to my Kindle? +
Every Kindle has a personal @kindle.com address (Amazon → Manage Content & Devices → Preferences → Personal Document Settings). Email the EPUB there as an attachment — from an address you've added to the Approved Personal Document E-mail List, or Amazon silently rejects it.
Setting up delivery for the first time? The full setup guide →