Muse to OPML Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Convert OPML outlines into Markdown or Word documents, or turn bullet lists back into an importable outline. If your files are still in Muse format, this page is the shortcut: Muse is the minimal markup of Emacs Muse and Zim wiki — headings with asterisks, emphasis with underscores — designed for note-taking that stays readable for decades.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How Muse compares to OPML
| Muse | OPML | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Plain-text markup (* headings, _em_) | XML <outline> tree |
| Types / schema | UTF-8 text | XML, text + attributes |
| Compatibility | Emacs, Zim, Pandoc | RSS readers, outliners, Pandoc |
| Best for | Personal notebooks and wiki pages | Subscriptions lists and mind maps |
How to convert Muse to OPML
- 1
Select your files
Select your Muse file.
- 2
Convert instantly
The file is first converted to markdown (an interchange format that keeps headings, lists and paragraphs), then rebuilt into the target format.
- 3
Download results
Download the OPML — structure preserved, heavy layout simplified.
About the Muse format
Muse is the quietest markup in this list: an Emacs mode from the early 2000s (later adopted by the Zim desktop wiki) whose headings are leading asterisks, emphasis is underscore-wrapped, and that is most of the grammar. It was designed for personal notebooks that should still open cleanly in fifty years.
Muse files rarely hold anything more exotic than headings, lists and paragraphs, which makes conversion nearly lossless: Pandoc maps the small grammar onto Markdown, HTML or Word one-to-one. The only real work is deciding where the notes go next.
+Strengths
- ✓Extremely simple grammar — near-lossless conversion
- ✓Future-proof plain text
- ✓Native to Emacs Muse and Zim wiki users
!Limitations
- −Tiny ecosystem outside Emacs
- −No tables or footnotes worth mentioning
- −Effectively unmaintained as a format
About the OPML format
OPML (Outline Processor Markup) is XML for hierarchies: nested <outline> elements, each with text and optional attributes. It is the silent standard behind podcast and RSS subscription lists — every "export subscriptions" button produces one — and the interchange format for outliners like Workflowy, Dynalist and OmniOutliner.
An outline is already half a document: Pandoc turns OPML hierarchies into Markdown headings, Word outlines or HTML pages with the nesting preserved, and can write OPML back out so a bulleted plan becomes an importable tree in your outliner of choice.
+Strengths
- ✓Universal outline exchange between outliners
- ✓The RSS/podcast subscription standard
- ✓Trivially parseable XML
!Limitations
- −Hierarchies only — no rich text per node
- −Attribute conventions vary between apps
- −Rarely rendered directly for humans
Why convert Muse to OPML?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Tiny ecosystem outside Emacs OPML works differently: Universal outline exchange between outliners If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Muse to OPML converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for Muse to OPML?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Does the conversion work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the conversion itself runs entirely inside your browser — you can even disconnect and keep converting. No file ever touches a server.
Will the layout of my Muse file be preserved exactly?
This converter renders your Muse content into OPML with pages, proportions and images kept as close to the original as the target format allows. Use the preview before downloading to confirm it looks the way you expect.