Notion export formats: HTML or Markdown & CSV?
Choose the format for your import workflow, then inspect the ZIP for child pages, links, and attachments.
| What you want to do | Format to choose |
|---|---|
| Use Obsidian Importer’s Notion → File import | Choose HTML and keep the ZIP Notion produces. |
| Use Joplin’s MD–Markdown (Directory) import | Choose Markdown & CSV, extract the ZIP, and select the folder containing the notes and attachments. |
| Keep notes you can open in a plain-text editor | Choose Markdown & CSV and check the ZIP for .md files and the attachments you need. |
How do subpage folders change the ZIP?
We inspected three exports of the same Notion sample with a parent page, two cross-linked child pages, a PNG, and a TXT file.
| Export format | Include subpages | Create folders for subpages | ZIP layout |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTML re-export | On | On | The parent .html is at the root. A and B share a subfolder, and the attachments are in a folder for A. |
| Markdown & CSV re-export | On | On | The parent .md is at the root. A and B share a subfolder, and the attachments are in a folder for A. |
| Earlier Markdown & CSV export | On | Off | All three .md files, the PNG, and the TXT are at the root. |
The PNG and TXT each had the same SHA-256 hash across all three ZIPs. Both Markdown & CSV exports contained three .md files. This sample produced no .csv files.
Before you import
- Extract the ZIP into a separate folder. Keep the original ZIP and preserve the extracted folder structure.
- Locate the parent page and both child pages. Open HTML in a browser or inspect Markdown in a text editor.
- Check the links from the parent to A and B and in both directions between A and B. Verify that each target exists in the extracted folder.
- Open the PNG and TXT to check the image and text. After importing, open them again from the note to see how the destination app handles them.
The first HTML export lacked the return link from B to A. A fresh export of the sample contained both the link and its target file. If a link is missing, check the original Notion page, then export again and inspect the ZIP.