Markdown to Word with equations

Display equations on their own line, numbered (1), (2), (3) at the right margin, with cross-references that update when you insert a new one. Native Word math, not pictures.

Pro · preview is free

Projectile motion

With launch speed $v_{0}$ and angle $θ$ , the position at time $t$ is

\begin{aligned} x (t) & = v_{0} \cos θ t \\ y (t) & = v_{0} \sin θ t - \frac{1}{2} g t^{2} \end{aligned}

(1)

Eliminating $t$ from (1) gives the path

y = x \tan θ - \frac{g x^{2}}{2 v_{0}^{2} \cos^{2} θ}

(2)

Equation (2) is a parabola, so the range follows from setting $y = 0$ .

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Write display equations

Double dollar signs on their own lines. Add {#eq:name} after the closing delimiter to label one.

Reference them in the text

Write @eq:name or \eqref{name} and the preview shows the resolved number in parentheses.

Download with live numbering

Numbers and references are Word fields. Insert an equation in Word, press F9, everything renumbers.

How block equations, numbering and cross-references are built in Word

A display equation in Word is an m:oMathPara, a math paragraph. Word centres it, gives it its own line, and renders operators at full display size with limits stacked above and below. Double-dollar blocks in your Markdown, and \[…\] blocks, become exactly that. Multi-line environments are handled by the corresponding Word structure: aligned and align become an equation array, m:eqArr, in which each & marks an alignment point so the equals signs line up, and each \\ starts a new row. cases becomes a left brace wrapping an equation array. gather centres each row independently. This is the part most people want first; the harder part is numbering, because Word has never had a built-in equation numbering feature comparable to LaTeX's.

Numbering without a native feature

Word authors have converged on one reliable technique: a borderless three-column table per numbered equation. The middle column holds the equation, centred. The right column holds the number, right-aligned. The left column is empty and the same width as the right, so the equation is centred on the page rather than shifted left by the number. MDtoDOCX writes this structure automatically for every display equation when numbering is on. The number itself is not typed; it is a SEQ Equation \* ARABIC field wrapped in parentheses, the same field Word uses for figure and table captions. Insert a new equation anywhere and select all, press F9, and every number updates. Word 365 also accepts a newer inline form, where typing #(1) at the end of a math paragraph produces a right-aligned number without a table. MDtoDOCX does not emit that form: every numbered equation uses the three-column table, which works in every version of Word since 2007 and in LibreOffice, where the inline form does not. If you specifically need the inline style, convert as usual and retype the numbers in Word 365; there is no option here that switches to it, and that is a limitation of the current release rather than a setting to find.

Labels and cross-references

A label written as {#eq:traj} after the closing delimiter, the pandoc-crossref syntax, or as \label{traj} inside the block, becomes a Word bookmark placed on the SEQ field. A reference written as @eq:traj, \ref{traj} or \eqref{traj} becomes a REF field pointing at that bookmark, so it shows the number, updates with F9, and Ctrl+click jumps to the equation. Because these are real bookmarks, References → Cross-reference in Word lists them, and Word's Insert Caption dialog understands the SEQ field, so you can keep numbering new equations by hand in the same sequence after export. An unnumbered equation is written with \nonumber or \notag, and \tag{A} replaces the automatic number with a fixed label.

Spacing and placement

Each equation table has six points of space above and below and is set to fixed layout so column widths do not drift when you edit. Equations wider than the middle column are scaled by Word's own break rules rather than overflowing. When a display equation immediately follows a paragraph that ends in a colon, as in the sample above, the paragraph's spacing after is suppressed so the equation reads as part of the sentence. Alignment of the number column can be changed to the left margin, the convention in some journals, with one option.

What you get in Word, and the Pro line

Open the file and every equation is editable in the Equation tab. Click a number and Word shows it as a grey field. Right-click a reference and choose Update Field. This workflow is identical to what a careful Word user would build by hand, which is the point: the document can be maintained by someone who has never seen Markdown. Equations are exported as native Word math objects. Free users get the preview with resolved numbers; Pro unlocks the download with equation objects, SEQ fields and bookmarks. Symbol coverage is documented on Markdown to Word with math, formulas inside sentences on Markdown to Word with formulas, and the delimiter rules on Markdown to Word with LaTeX. The equivalent command-line setup requires Pandoc plus the pandoc-crossref filter.

Numbered equations in Word: MDtoDOCX vs Pandoc vs copy-paste

Block equation feature	MDtoDOCX	Pandoc	Copy into Word
Display equation	Native m:oMathPara, centred	Native	Raw text between dollar signs
aligned / cases environments	Equation array with alignment	Equation array	Lost
Automatic numbering	SEQ fields in a 3-column table	Needs pandoc-crossref filter	Typed by hand
Cross-references	REF fields to bookmarks, clickable	With pandoc-crossref	Typed by hand
Renumber after inserting	Press F9	Press F9	Manual
Word 365 inline #(1) style	No; always the 3-column table, which LibreOffice also reads	No	n/a
Works in Word 2007+ and LibreOffice	Yes	Yes	n/a
Install	None	Pandoc + Haskell filter	None

Frequently asked questions

How are equations numbered in Word if Word has no equation numbering?

Each numbered equation is placed in a borderless three-column table with the equation centred and a SEQ Equation field in the right column. It is the standard technique used by Word authors and updates with F9.

How do I label an equation and refer to it?

Add a label in braces with a hash after the closing dollars, or use LaTeX label inside the block. Refer to it with at-eq-name, ref or eqref. References become clickable REF fields.

Will numbers update if I add an equation in Word later?

Yes. Numbers are SEQ fields and references are REF fields. Select all and press F9 to renumber. You can also use Insert Caption in Word to continue the same sequence.

Does the aligned environment keep the equals signs lined up?

Yes. It becomes a Word equation array where each ampersand is an alignment mark, so rows align exactly as in LaTeX.

Can I leave some equations unnumbered?

Yes. Use nonumber or notag inside the block, or turn numbering off globally and label only the equations you need.

Can the number go on the left?

Yes. An option moves the number to the left column for journals that use left numbering.

How is this page different from the math and formulas pages?

This page covers standalone display equations with numbering and cross-references. The math page covers symbols and structures, and the formulas page covers inline formulas within sentences.

Is equation numbering free?

The preview with resolved numbers is free. Downloading native equations with fields and bookmarks requires Pro, from $4.9 for a 7-day pass.

Does this work in LibreOffice and Google Docs?

LibreOffice supports the table, SEQ and REF fields fully. Google Docs shows the numbers as static text but keeps the equations editable.