Export Apple Keynote Text

Export Apple Keynote Text

Apple’s Keynote exports to PowerPoint, PDF, HTML complete, images, and even a zip file, but offers no option to export Keynote slides to plain text or outline format. Also, no way to extract the text from Presenter Notes.

I searched for an hour before I discovered a gist written by Ben Waldie, aka the Apple Script Guru on Twitter, and keeper of the Automated Workflows Site.

Export Apple Keynote Text To Evernote

Using Applescript, Ben’s gist at Github exports text from Keynote 6.2, formats it in HTML, and stores it in an Evernote file. A breakdown of how Ben’s script works is at: The Unofficial Apple Weblog: Send Keynote presenter notes to Evernote with AppleScript.

Export Apple Keynote Text To Markdown

I was so happy to find Ben’s script that I tinkered with it to make a gist of my own that exports Keynote text to a Desktop Markdown file as follows:

## Slide Number
### Title of Slide
#### Body of Slide
#### Presenter Notes


Dear Apple

Now if Apple would only add the ability to import and export text outlines into and out of Keynote, it would allow a presenter to draft an outline in a text file or in Pages, then import it into Keynote and build a presentation around it.

Or after working on a Keynote presentation, a presenter could export the text outline and use it to create a handout or memo accompanying the presentation.

Until then check out the following gists:

• Send Keynote Presenter Notes To Evernote, by Ben Waldie, or
• Send Keynote Text To Markdown File, by Yours Truly.

If you make improvements, please let me know @RichardDooling or at my GitHub page.