What Is the Markdown To MediaWiki Table Converter?

The Markdown To MediaWiki Table Converter on A.Tools transforms Markdown pipe-delimited tables into MediaWiki wikitext markup — the table format used by Wikipedia, Fandom, Wikidata, and any site powered by MediaWiki. All processing runs in your browser. No data leaves your device.

Markdown tables are convenient for documentation, but MediaWiki uses a completely different syntax based on {|, |}, |-, |, and !. This tool converts between the two instantly, with options for sortable tables, header markup, and minified output.

How to Convert Markdown Tables to MediaWiki Markup?

Step 1: Provide Your Markdown Data

Click Enter Data to paste a Markdown table into the input area, or click Choose File to drag and drop a .md file. Press Sample to load example data.

Step 2: Edit in the Online Table Editor

Once parsed, an interactive spreadsheet appears. Use the toolbar to:

• Add or delete rows and columns

• Transpose the table (swap rows and columns)

• Remove duplicate rows

• Delete empty rows and columns

• Change text case (UPPERCASE, lowercase, Capitalize)

• Find and replace values — supports case-sensitive search and regex

• Toggle First Row as Header to define column headers

Right-click any cell for context-menu operations.

Step 3: Configure MediaWiki Settings

In the Properties panel, toggle three options:

Step 4: Export

Click Convert to generate wikitext. Use Copy to Clipboard or Download File to save the output.

Key Features

• Two input modes: Paste Markdown directly or upload a .md file via drag-and-drop

• Full table editor: Edit, transpose, deduplicate, find-and-replace before converting

• Sortable tables: Add Wikipedia-compatible sortable column headers

• Header markup: Generate proper ! header cells for MediaWiki

• Minified output: Compact single-line wikitext for embedded use

• Client-side processing: Files never leave the browser — zero data upload

• Undo/Redo: Full edit history with revert support

• Context menu: Right-click for quick row/column/cell operations

• Header toggle: Treat the first row as column headers or regular data

• Validation indicator: Real-time feedback on input validity

What the Output Looks Like

Given this Markdown input:

| Name  | Age | City        |
|-------|-----|-------------|
| Alice | 30  | New York    |
| Bob   | 25  | Los Angeles |

Default output (expanded, no header markup)

{|
|-
| Name || Age || City
|-
| Alice || 30 || New York
|-
| Bob || 25 || Los Angeles
|}

With Header Markup enabled

{|
|-! Name !! Age !! City
|-
| Alice || 30 || New York
|-
| Bob || 25 || Los Angeles
|}

Header cells use ! and !! instead of | and ||, which renders them bold and centered in MediaWiki.

With Sortable enabled

{| class="sortable"
|-
| Name || Age || City
|-
| Alice || 30 || New York
|-
| Bob || 25 || Los Angeles
|}

The class="sortable" attribute adds click-to-sort arrows on column headers when viewed on Wikipedia or any MediaWiki site with the Sortable extension enabled.

With Minify Code enabled

{| class="wikitable" |- | Name || Age || City |- | Alice || 30 || New York |- | Bob || 25 || Los Angeles |}

All whitespace and line breaks are removed for compact embedding.

All three options enabled

{| class="sortable" |- ! Name !! Age !! City |- | Alice || 30 || New York |- | Bob || 25 || Los Angeles |}

Understanding MediaWiki Table Syntax

MediaWiki uses a unique markup language for tables that is different from both HTML and Markdown. Here is the complete syntax reference:

Table structure

Complete example with all features

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Header 1 !! Header 2 !! Header 3
|-
| Cell A1 || Cell A2 || Cell A3
|-
| Cell B1 || Cell B2 || Cell B3
|}

Attributes and styling

MediaWiki tables support HTML attributes:

{| class="wikitable" style="border: 1px solid black;"
|-
! Column 1
|-
| Data
|}

Common CSS classes:

• wikitable — Standard Wikipedia table styling (gray headers, borders)

• sortable — Enables column sorting

• collapsible — Adds a collapse/expand toggle

Official reference: Help:Tables on MediaWiki

Settings Explained: Minify, Header Markup, Sortable

Minify Code

Removes all line breaks and unnecessary whitespace from the output. Useful when embedding tables in templates or transcluded pages where compact code is preferred.

Off (expanded):

{|
|-
| A || B
|-
| C || D
|}

On (minified):

{| |- | A || B |- | C || D |}

Header Markup

Controls how the first row is rendered. When enabled, header cells use ! and !! which MediaWiki renders as bold and centered. When disabled, all cells use | and ||.

Off: All cells are data cells — | Name || Age || City
On: First row uses header markup — ! Name !! Age !! City

This toggle only affects the output when First Row as Header is also enabled in the table editor toolbar.

Sortable

Adds class="sortable" to the opening {| tag. This enables click-to-sort functionality on Wikipedia and any MediaWiki site with the SortableTables extension.

Off: {|
On: {| class="sortable"

For best results, enable both Header Markup and Sortable together — sort arrows appear on header cells.

Use Cases: When to Convert Markdown to MediaWiki

Wikipedia Infobox Example

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-! Planet !! Distance (AU) !! Orbital Period (years)
|-
| Mercury || 0.39 || 0.24
|-
| Venus || 0.72 || 0.62
|-
| Earth || 1.00 || 1.00
|-
| Mars || 1.52 || 1.88
|}

Fandom Game Data Example

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Character !! Class !! HP !! Attack
|-
| Warrior || Tank || 1200 || 85
|-
| Mage || DPS || 600 || 150
|-
| Healer || Support || 800 || 40
|}

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Does this tool upload my files to a server?

  No. All file parsing and conversion runs in your browser using JavaScript. Your data stays on your device. A.Tools never receives, stores, or transmits your file contents.

• What Markdown table formats are supported?

  The tool supports standard pipe-delimited Markdown tables following the CommonMark specification, including tables with or without leading/trailing pipes and alignment indicators.

• What is MediaWiki table markup?

  MediaWiki uses a unique wikitext syntax for tables: {| starts a table, |} ends it, |- starts a row, | creates a data cell, and ! creates a header cell. This is the format used by Wikipedia and all MediaWiki-powered sites.

• What does the Header Markup setting do?

  When enabled, the first row uses ! and !! markup instead of | and ||. MediaWiki renders header cells as bold and centered. This is recommended for tables with column headings.

• What does the Sortable setting do?

  It adds class="sortable" to the table, which enables click-to-sort functionality on Wikipedia and MediaWiki sites with the Sortable extension.

• What does Minify Code do?

  It removes all line breaks and unnecessary whitespace, producing compact single-line wikitext. Useful for embedding in templates or transcluded pages.

• Can I edit the table before converting?

  Yes. After parsing, the full table editor lets you modify cells, add or remove rows and columns, transpose, deduplicate, change text case, and find-and-replace values.

• Is there a file size limit?

  Processing is client-side, so the limit depends on your browser's memory. Tables with tens of thousands of rows work reliably on modern browsers.