Exporting a Word document that contains tracked changes to Markdown while preserving author names is a common task for writers and developers who collaborate in Word but finalize content in Markdown-based systems like GitHub or static site generators. By default, Word does not include a built-in export to Markdown that carries revision author information. This article explains how to use a combination of Word’s built-in features, a free third-party add-in, and a manual post-processing step to retain author tags in the final Markdown output.

Key Takeaways: Export Track Changes With Author Tags to Markdown

Save As > Plain Text (.txt) then convert to Markdown: Strips all formatting and author data; not recommended for preserving tags.
Writage Markdown add-in (free trial): Converts .docx to .md and can preserve tracked changes as Markdown comments with author names.
Pandoc with custom Lua filter: Command-line tool that extracts revision author and date, and inserts them as Markdown block quotes or HTML comments.

Overview of the Export Process and Required Tools

Word’s Track Changes feature stores each revision with the author’s name, date, and time. When you export to plain Markdown, this metadata is lost unless you use a tool that explicitly reads the revision data from the .docx XML structure. The .docx file is a ZIP archive containing XML files. Inside that archive, the file word/document.xml stores tracked changes as <w:ins> and <w:del> elements with author and date attributes.

To export this data, you have three main options. The first uses the Writage add-in, which provides a Word ribbon button to convert the document to Markdown and can embed tracked changes as Markdown comments. The second uses Pandoc, a free command-line converter, with a custom Lua filter that reads the revision author and inserts it into the output. The third is a manual method that involves saving as HTML and then extracting the revision data with a script. This article focuses on the first two methods because they require the least technical effort.

Prerequisites:

Word 2016 or later (Windows or Mac)
A document with tracked changes enabled and at least one revision from a known author
For Method 1: Writage add-in (free 30-day trial; paid license after trial)
For Method 2: Pandoc installed (free) and a Lua script

Method 1: Using the Writage Markdown Add-In

Writage is a Word add-in that adds a Markdown ribbon tab. It can export tracked changes as Markdown comments with the author’s name. This method is the simplest for users who prefer a graphical interface.

Install the Writage add-in
Download the installer from the Writage website. Run the installer and follow the prompts. After installation, restart Word. A new Markdown tab appears in the ribbon.
Open the document with tracked changes
In Word, open the .docx file that contains the tracked changes you want to export. Ensure all changes are visible. On the Review tab, set Display for Review to All Markup.
Configure the Markdown export settings
Go to the Markdown tab. Click Options. In the dialog, look for the Track Changes section. Set Export tracked changes as Markdown comments to Yes. Optionally, enable Include author name in comment.
Export to Markdown
On the Markdown tab, click Convert. Choose Markdown (.md) as the output format. Select a destination folder and click Save. Writage creates a .md file.
Verify the author tags
Open the .md file in a text editor. Insertions are shown as  before the inserted text. Deletions are shown as  followed by the deleted text in strikethrough. If the author name is missing, recheck the Options setting.

Method 2: Using Pandoc With a Custom Lua Filter

Pandoc is a command-line tool that can convert between many document formats. With a Lua filter, you can extract revision author and date from the .docx XML and insert them into the Markdown output. This method gives you full control over the output format.

Install Pandoc
Download the installer from pandoc.org. Run the installer. After installation, open a command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Mac). Type pandoc --version to verify it is installed.
Create the Lua filter file
Open a text editor and paste the following Lua script. Save it as track-changes-author.lua in a folder you can easily access, such as your Documents folder.
-- track-changes-author.lua function Pandoc(doc) local meta = doc.meta local blocks = doc.blocks for i, block in ipairs(blocks) do if block.t == "Para" then local inlines = block.content for j, inline in ipairs(inlines) do if inline.t == "RawInline" and inline.format == "html" then -- Check for tracked change comments if inline.text:match("