How to Export Obsidian Excalidraw Diagrams to Other Formats

The Excalidraw plugin for Obsidian stores diagrams in a special .excalidraw.md format. This guide shows how to convert those files to formats you can use in other tools.

Understanding the .excalidraw.md Format

When you create a diagram with the Excalidraw plugin for Obsidian, it saves the file as a Markdown file with embedded Excalidraw JSON data. This .excalidraw.md format is designed to work within Obsidian's ecosystem — it renders as a diagram inside Obsidian but looks like raw code in other applications.

The file contains a standard Markdown wrapper with the Excalidraw scene data encoded inside. The converter extracts this data and transforms it into whichever format you need.

Available Export Formats

  • .excalidraw — Standard Excalidraw JSON. Use this to open your diagram at excalidraw.com or share it with people who don't use Obsidian.
  • .drawio — Draw.io / diagrams.net format. Ideal for team collaboration, Confluence integration, or when you need advanced diagramming features.
  • .svg — Scalable Vector Graphics. Perfect for embedding diagrams in websites, presentations, or documentation where you need a static image that scales cleanly.
  • .mmd — Mermaid syntax. Useful for embedding diagrams in Markdown files, GitHub READMEs, or any platform that renders Mermaid code blocks.

How to Convert

1
Find your file

Locate the .excalidraw.md file in your Obsidian vault folder. On macOS, this is typically under ~/Documents or wherever your vault is stored. On Windows, check your Documents folder.

2
Open the converter

Go to the Orriguii Diagram Converter. It works in any modern browser — no installation or account required.

3
Drop your file

Drag your .excalidraw.md file into the drop zone. The converter auto-detects the source format. For multiple files, drop them all at once — batch conversion is supported.

4
Choose output format and download

Select the output format you need. Conversion starts automatically and the result is ready to download immediately.

Common Use Cases

  • Sharing with non-Obsidian users — Convert to .excalidraw or .svg so others can view your diagrams without Obsidian.
  • Team documentation — Export to .drawio for teams using Draw.io in Confluence or Google Drive.
  • GitHub documentation — Convert to .mmd (Mermaid) for diagrams that render directly in GitHub Markdown files.
  • Presentations — Export to .svg for high-quality diagram images in slides.

Privacy

Your Obsidian files stay on your device. The converter processes everything in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the .excalidraw.md format?

The .excalidraw.md format is a Markdown file with embedded Excalidraw JSON data, created by the Excalidraw plugin for Obsidian. It renders as a diagram inside Obsidian but appears as raw code in other applications. To use the diagram outside Obsidian, you need to convert it to a standard format like .excalidraw, .drawio, .svg, or .mmd.

How do I export an Obsidian Excalidraw diagram to SVG?

Locate your .excalidraw.md file in your Obsidian vault folder, then open Orriguii Diagram Converter in any browser. Drag the file into the converter, select .svg as the output format, and download the result. The entire process runs locally in your browser.

Can I batch-convert multiple Obsidian Excalidraw files?

Yes. Drop multiple .excalidraw.md files into the converter at once. Each file will be converted to your selected output format and available for individual download or as a single ZIP file.

Convert Your Diagrams