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Baoyu Url To Markdown

CommunityPopular
JimLiu
baoyu-url-to-markdown

Fetch any URL and convert to markdown using baoyu-fetch CLI (Chrome CDP with site-specific adapters). Built-in adapters for X/Twitter, YouTube transcripts, Hacker News threads, and generic pages via Defuddle. Handles login/CAPTCHA via interaction wait modes. Use when user wants to save a webpage as markdown.

Overview

PublisherJimLiu
Repositorybaoyu-skills
Skill namebaoyu-url-to-markdown
Stars
26K
Forks
2.9K
Bundled files
47
LicenseMIT
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • 47 bundled files

    Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.

  • Open source

    Published by JimLiu on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Baoyu Url To Markdown AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/JimLiu/baoyu-skills.git /tmp/baoyu-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/baoyu-skills/skills/baoyu-url-to-markdown .claude/skills/baoyu-url-to-markdown
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Baoyu Url To Markdown in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Baoyu Url To Markdown on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Baoyu Url To Markdown is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

URL to Markdown

Fetches any URL via baoyu-fetch CLI (Chrome CDP + site-specific adapters) and converts it to clean markdown.

User Input Tools

When this skill prompts the user, follow this tool-selection rule (priority order):

  1. Prefer built-in user-input tools exposed by the current agent runtime — e.g., AskUserQuestion, request_user_input, clarify, ask_user, or any equivalent.
  2. Fallback: if no such tool exists, emit a numbered plain-text message and ask the user to reply with the chosen number/answer for each question.
  3. Batching: if the tool supports multiple questions per call, combine all applicable questions into a single call; if only single-question, ask them one at a time in priority order.

Concrete AskUserQuestion references below are examples — substitute the local equivalent in other runtimes.

CLI Setup

Important: The CLI source is vendored in {baseDir}/scripts/lib. scripts/package.json installs only third-party runtime dependencies.

Agent Execution Instructions:

  1. Determine this SKILL.md file's directory path as {baseDir}
  2. Resolve ${BUN} runtime: if bun installed → bun; else suggest installing Bun
  3. If {baseDir}/scripts/node_modules does not exist, run ${BUN} install --cwd {baseDir}/scripts
  4. ${READER} = {baseDir}/scripts/baoyu-fetch
  5. Replace all ${READER} in this document with the resolved value

Preferences (EXTEND.md)

Check EXTEND.md in priority order — the first one found wins:

PriorityPathScope
1.baoyu-skills/baoyu-url-to-markdown/EXTEND.mdProject
2${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/baoyu-skills/baoyu-url-to-markdown/EXTEND.mdXDG
3$HOME/.baoyu-skills/baoyu-url-to-markdown/EXTEND.mdUser home
ResultAction
FoundRead, parse, apply settings
Not foundMUST run first-time setup (see below) — do NOT silently create defaults

EXTEND.md supports: download media by default, default output directory.

First-Time Setup ⛔ BLOCKING

When EXTEND.md is not found, you MUST use AskUserQuestion to gather preferences before creating EXTEND.md. NEVER create EXTEND.md with silent defaults. Generation is BLOCKED until setup completes. Batch all three questions into a single call:

  • Q1 — Media (header "Media"): "How to handle images and videos in pages?"
    • "Ask each time (Recommended)" — Prompt after each save
    • "Always download" — Download to local imgs/ and videos/
    • "Never download" — Keep remote URLs
  • Q2 — Output (header "Output"): "Default output directory?"
    • "url-to-markdown (Recommended)" — Save to ./url-to-markdown/{domain}/{slug}.md
    • User may pick "Other" and type a custom path
  • Q3 — Save (header "Save"): "Where to save preferences?"
    • "User (Recommended)" — ~/.baoyu-skills/ (all projects)
    • "Project" — .baoyu-skills/ (this project only)

After answers, write EXTEND.md, confirm "Preferences saved to [path]", then continue.

Full template: references/config/first-time-setup.md.

Supported Keys

KeyDefaultValuesDescription
download_mediaaskask / 1 / 0ask = prompt each time, 1 = always, 0 = never
default_output_diremptypath or emptyDefault output directory (empty = ./url-to-markdown/)

EXTEND.md → CLI mapping:

EXTEND.md keyCLI argumentNotes
download_media: 1--download-mediaRequires --output to be set
default_output_dir: ./posts/Agent constructs --output ./posts/{domain}/{slug}.mdAgent generates path, not a direct flag

Value priority: CLI arguments → EXTEND.md → skill defaults.

Usage

bash
# Default: headless capture, markdown to stdout
${READER} <url>

# Save to file
${READER} <url> --output article.md

# Save with media download
${READER} <url> --output article.md --download-media

# Wait for interaction (login/CAPTCHA) — auto-detect and continue
${READER} <url> --wait-for interaction --output article.md

# Wait for interaction — manual control (Enter to continue)
${READER} <url> --wait-for force --output article.md

# JSON output
${READER} <url> --format json --output article.json

# Force specific adapter
${READER} <url> --adapter youtube --output transcript.md

Options

OptionDescription
<url>URL to fetch
--output <path>Output file path (default: stdout)
--format <type>Output format: markdown (default) or json
--jsonShorthand for --format json
--adapter <name>Force adapter: x, youtube, hn, or generic (default: auto-detect)
--headlessForce headless Chrome (no visible window)
--wait-for <mode>Interaction wait mode: none (default), interaction, or force
--wait-for-interactionAlias for --wait-for interaction
--wait-for-loginAlias for --wait-for interaction
--timeout <ms>Page load timeout (default: 30000)
--interaction-timeout <ms>Login/CAPTCHA wait timeout (default: 600000 = 10 min)
--interaction-poll-interval <ms>Poll interval for interaction checks (default: 1500)
--download-mediaDownload images/videos to local imgs/ and videos/, rewrite markdown links. Requires --output
--media-dir <dir>Base directory for downloaded media (default: same as --output directory)
--cdp-url <url>Reuse existing Chrome DevTools Protocol endpoint
--browser-path <path>Custom Chrome/Chromium binary path
--chrome-profile-dir <path>Chrome user data directory (default: BAOYU_CHROME_PROFILE_DIR env or ./baoyu-skills/chrome-profile)
--debug-dir <dir>Write debug artifacts (document.json, markdown.md, page.html, network.json)

Agent Quality Gate

CRITICAL: treat default headless capture as provisional. Some sites render differently in headless mode and can silently return low-quality content without failing the CLI.

After every headless run, inspect the saved markdown. See references/quality-gate.md for the full checklist, recovery workflow, and capture-mode table. Read it whenever a run looks suspicious or the user asks about login/CAPTCHA handling.

Output Path Generation

The agent must construct the output file path — baoyu-fetch does not auto-generate paths.

Algorithm:

  1. Determine base directory from EXTEND.md default_output_dir or default ./url-to-markdown/
  2. Extract domain from URL (e.g., example.com)
  3. Generate slug from URL path or page title (kebab-case, 2-6 words)
  4. Construct: {base_dir}/{domain}/{slug}/{slug}.md — each URL gets its own directory so media files stay isolated
  5. Conflict resolution: append timestamp {slug}-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS/{slug}-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md

Pass the constructed path to --output. Media files (--download-media) are saved into subdirectories next to the markdown file, keeping each URL's assets self-contained.

Adapters & Media

See references/adapters.md for the adapter catalog (X, YouTube, Hacker News, generic), per-adapter notes, the media download flow (ask / always / never), and the JSON output schema. Read it before answering adapter-specific questions or handling media prompts.

Environment Variables

VariableDescription
BAOYU_CHROME_PROFILE_DIRChrome user data directory (can also use --chrome-profile-dir)

Troubleshooting: Chrome not found → use --browser-path. Timeout → increase --timeout. Login/CAPTCHA → --wait-for interaction. Debug → --debug-dir to inspect captured HTML and network logs.

Extension Support

Custom configurations via EXTEND.md. See Preferences section above for paths and supported keys.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Baoyu Url To Markdown AI skill do?

Fetch any URL and convert to markdown using baoyu-fetch CLI (Chrome CDP with site-specific adapters). Built-in adapters for X/Twitter, YouTube transcripts, Hacker News threads, and generic pages via Defuddle. Handles login/CAPTCHA via interaction wait modes. Use when user wants to save a webpage as markdown.

Why use Baoyu Url To Markdown on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Baoyu Url To Markdown is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Baoyu Url To Markdown in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/JimLiu/baoyu-skills/tree/main/skills/baoyu-url-to-markdown. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Baoyu Url To Markdown?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Baoyu Url To Markdown?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Baoyu Url To Markdown with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Baoyu Url To Markdown AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by JimLiu under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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