Markdown workflow

You Exported Notion to Markdown
here is how to open those .md files, offline, with images

You exported your Notion pages as "Markdown & CSV", got a .zip, and unzipped it into a folder of .md files with images tucked in subfolders. Now, how do you actually open and read them, offline, with the pictures showing instead of broken icons? Here is how, in the browser.

Open your Notion .md export and read it rendered in the browser. No install →

What a Notion Markdown export looks like

A Notion export comes down as a .zip. Unzipped, it is folders of .md files (your pages) with long hash-like names, and any images sit in subfolders, linked from the notes by a relative path like images/photo.png. If you had databases, those come out as separate .csv files, which are data rather than notes.

The catch is the images. Open one of those .md files in a tool that cannot reach the local image files and you get broken icons instead of your pictures.

Open the folder in the browser

NoteLoom opens a local folder right in the browser and reads the files in it, including the images those notes point to.

  1. Unzip the export first. NoteLoom opens folders, not .zip files, so extract it with your operating system.
  2. Open app.noteloom.cc in Chrome / Edge / Arc and mount the unzipped folder (not a single file, so it can reach the images).
  3. Open a page. The .md renders, and the images render by their relative path, so the note looks like it did in Notion. Reading, live, and source views are all there.
In the export In NoteLoom
The .md files Your Notion pages, opened and rendered
Images in subfolders Rendered by their relative path, once the folder is mounted
The .zip itself Unzip it yourself first; NoteLoom opens the folder, not the zip
Database .csv files Data, not notes, so they are not shown as pages

It is all local: nothing is uploaded, and because it is a progressive web app, it works offline. Good for reading a Markdown file with local images that a cloud tool cannot reach.

The honest limits

  • You unzip it, not NoteLoom. It opens the folder after you extract the .zip.
  • It shows notes, not databases. It displays .md and .markdown files; the export’s .csv database files are data, not pages.
  • It is not a Notion replacement. It reads and edits your exported notes as plain files; it does not recreate Notion’s databases or features, and it does not rewrite anything.

The upside: once your pages are plain .md in a folder you can open offline, they are genuinely yours, and you can edit them in place without importing them anywhere else.

Related reading

Edit .md files in place, without importing Edit your exported notes where they are, no second copy. Are your notes locked in? Why plain .md in a folder means you actually own your notes. Why is my Markdown image not showing? Relative-path local images, and what renders them. Local-first Markdown editor Your exported notes stay on your disk, not in a cloud.

FAQ

How do I open a Notion Markdown export?
Unzip the export first, then open the folder in a Markdown reader. In NoteLoom you open your browser, mount the unzipped folder, and it shows and renders the .md files, including the images that live in their subfolders.
Why are the images broken when I open the .md file?
Notion puts images in subfolders and links them by a relative path like images/photo.png. A tool that cannot reach those local files shows broken icons. NoteLoom reads the whole mounted folder, so it renders the local images by their relative path, as long as you mounted the folder, not a single file.
Do I need internet to read the export?
No. NoteLoom is a progressive web app and opens the files locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and it works offline, so your exported notes stay on your own machine.
Can NoteLoom unzip the export for me?
No. It opens folders, not .zip files, so unzip the export first with your operating system and then mount the folder. It also shows .md and .markdown files, so the database CSV files from a Notion export are data, not notes it displays.
Is this a replacement for Notion?
No. It opens and edits the exported .md notes with their images; it does not recreate Notion databases or Notion’s app features. It is a way to read and own your exported notes as plain files.
Which browser does it need?
A Chromium-based desktop browser: Chrome, Edge, or Arc. It uses the File System Access API, which Firefox, Safari, and mobile browsers do not support yet.

Read your Notion export, offline and with images

Unzip the export, open NoteLoom in Chrome / Edge / Arc, and mount the folder to read your .md pages with their local images rendered. Nothing uploaded, works offline, no account,.

Open NoteLoom and try it