Djot to RST Converter
FileFlip converts Djot to RST entirely inside your browser, using Pandoc compiled to WebAssembly. The file is never uploaded to a server: it is read off your disk, converted on your own machine, and saved back by the browser. That means no file-size limit, no queue and no account.
How do I convert a Djot file to RST?#
- Drop your Djot file onto the converter at the top of this page, or click it to pick one from your computer. You can add as many as you like.
- Leave the target set to RST and the conversion starts on its own. FileFlip downloads 65.8 MB of WebAssembly the first time and nothing after that, then runs Pandoc on your own machine.
- Save the RST file. Your browser writes it straight to your downloads folder, because there was never a server holding it.
Does converting Djot to RST lose quality?#
Not in the sense of pixels or samples. Converting Djot to RST rebuilds the file in RST's own model rather than re-encoding it, so everything RST can represent comes through exactly and anything it cannot has to be dropped. Expect the words to come through exactly and the page breaks to move.
Is it safe to convert Djot files online?#
Yes, because nothing is uploaded. FileFlip converts Djot files inside the browser tab you already have open, using WebAssembly builds of the same engines a desktop converter would install. Your file is read from your own disk into the page's memory, and no request carrying it is ever made.
You do not have to take that on trust. Open your browser's network panel, run a conversion, and you will see the engine come down and your file go nowhere. There is no upload, no server-side copy, no retention window, and no account tied to what you converted.
How FileFlip works lists every engine, its version and its download size, and shows how to check for yourself that nothing leaves your machine.
What Djot to RST actually does to the file#
Converting Djot to RST runs on Pandoc, downloads 65.8 MB of WebAssembly the first time and nothing after that, rebuilds the file in the target's own model, keeps selectable text and page layout.
| Engine | Pandoc |
|---|---|
| Conversion path | One step: Djot → RST |
| Downloaded to your browser | 65.8 MB, once, then cached by your browser |
| Quality | Rebuilt in the target's model |
| You get back | One file |
| Where it runs | In a background worker, so the page stays responsive |
What survives the conversion
| What is in the file | This conversion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Selectable text | Kept | Carried through into the converted file. |
| Page layout | Kept | Carried through into the converted file. |
What is a Djot file?#
A DJ file holds a Djot document, a lightweight markup that reads like Markdown but is built on an unambiguous grammar, so it parses the same way in every implementation.
Write in Djot when Markdown's readability is wanted without its parsing ambiguities, and broad tool support isn't a requirement yet.
Convert Djot to another format when sharing with tools or people that only handle Markdown, HTML, or another mainstream format.
What is an RST file?#
An RST file holds reStructuredText, the markup David Goodger designed in 2001 for Python documentation, where directives and interpreted text roles extend the syntax with cross-references, footnotes and generated content that Markdown has no built-in equivalent for.
Write in reStructuredText for Python documentation or any Sphinx-built site that needs directives, cross-references and generated indexes.
Convert reStructuredText to Markdown when the destination lives outside the Sphinx or Python ecosystem, since most directives don't have a Markdown equivalent.
Djot to RST questions people ask#
What is a .dj file?
A .dj file is a Djot document, a lightweight markup language that looks like Markdown but parses under a stricter, unambiguous grammar. It was designed in 2022 by John MacFarlane, who also created Pandoc and co-authored the CommonMark specification.
Who created Djot and why?
Djot was created by John MacFarlane, drawing on his essay 'Beyond Markdown' about the parsing problems built into Markdown and CommonMark. Djot keeps Markdown's familiar look while fixing the ambiguities that make CommonMark hard to parse efficiently, and adds features like footnotes and definition lists.
Is Djot the same as Markdown?
No, Djot only looks similar to Markdown. It derives most of its syntax from CommonMark but changes several rules to remove parsing ambiguities, so a document written for one won't reliably render correctly in the other.
What is reStructuredText used for?
reStructuredText is the markup behind Python's own documentation and most Sphinx-built documentation sites, chosen because PEP 287 made it the standard format for Python docstrings. Its directive system lets a project define custom content types, which is why documentation with heavy cross-referencing tends to land on it over Markdown.