If you own a Kindle, you have likely accumulated hundreds or even thousands of highlights and notes across the books you have read. These highlights represent valuable insights, but they are locked inside Amazon’s ecosystem. Extracting them to a usable format like Markdown (.md), CSV (.csv), or JSON (.json) lets you own your data, search it, back it up, and use it in the tools you already rely on.
This guide walks you through exactly how to export Kindle highlights from My Clippings.txt to any format you need, entirely free for single-book exports, with no uploads and no servers involved.
My Clippings.txt in the documents/ folder, drag it onto the Kindle Highlights Exporter, and click Export. That is all it takes.
Why Export Your Kindle Highlights?
Amazon does not make it easy to get your highlights out. The Kindle app shows them on a per-book basis, but there is no bulk export, no standard file format, and no API. Here is why exporting matters:
- Data ownership. Your highlights are your intellectual property. Exporting them ensures you do not lose them if you switch devices, lose your Kindle, or stop using Amazon services.
- Search and organization. A Markdown file of all your highlights is searchable with any text editor. You can grep, tag, and organize them by topic across books.
- Note-taking integration. Apps like Obsidian, Notion, Roam Research, and Logseq all accept Markdown imports. Exporting to Markdown lets you merge your Kindle highlights into your personal knowledge base.
- Data analysis. CSV export opens the door to spreadsheets, pivot tables, and data visualization. See which authors you highlight most, track your reading patterns, or build a personal highlight dashboard.
- Backup and portability. A plain text file will be readable in 50 years. Proprietary formats come and go. Markdown and CSV are archival standards.
What is My Clippings.txt?
My Clippings.txt is a plain text file that Amazon’s Kindle devices and apps generate automatically. Every time you highlight a passage, add a note, or bookmark a page, it gets appended to this file. The file lives on your Kindle’s internal storage and contains every highlight and note you have ever made.
Each entry in the file follows a consistent format separated by ========== dividers:
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
- Your Highlight on page 42 | Added on Tuesday, January 14, 2025
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
==========
The challenge is that this raw format is not easy to work with. Entries from different books are interleaved chronologically (by when you made them), not grouped by book. The Kindle Highlights Exporter parses this file, groups highlights by book, and lets you export them in clean, structured formats.
documents/ folder. The file is named My Clippings.txt. Copy it to your computer and you are ready to export.
Step-by-Step: Export Kindle Highlights
Follow these five steps to export your Kindle highlights in under two minutes.
Connect your Kindle to your computer. Use the USB cable that came with your Kindle. Once connected, your Kindle appears as an external drive (like a USB flash drive).
Locate My Clippings.txt. Open the Kindle drive, navigate into the documents/ folder, and find the file My Clippings.txt. Copy it to your desktop or a folder on your computer.
Open the Kindle Highlights Exporter. Go to the Kindle Highlights Exporter tool in your browser. It works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. No account or sign-up is needed.
Drag and drop My Clippings.txt. Drag the file from your computer onto the upload area on the tool. You can also click “browse your files” to select it manually. The tool instantly parses your file and displays all books and highlights.
Export to your preferred format. Click one of three buttons: Export as Markdown, Export as CSV, or Export as JSON. A file downloads immediately to your computer with all highlights organized by book.
Export Formats Explained
Each export format serves a different purpose. Here is how to choose the right one for your workflow.
| Format | Extension | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown | .md | Note-taking apps (Obsidian, Notion, Logseq) Recommended |
| CSV | .csv | Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers) and databases |
| JSON | .json | Developers, automation scripts, and API integration |
Markdown (.md)
The Markdown export produces a clean, readable file with headings for each book, bullet-pointed highlights, and italicized notes. It is ideal for importing into Obsidian, Notion, Roam, Logseq, or any Markdown-compatible note-taking app. The file is structured with ## Book Title headings and sub-bullets for each passage. If you only use one format, use Markdown.
CSV (.csv)
The CSV export creates a table with columns: Book Title, Author, Page, Location, Date Added, Highlight Text, and Note. This is the best format if you want to analyze your highlights in a spreadsheet, sort by book or date, or import into a custom database. It works with Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable, and Notion’s database view.
JSON (.json)
The JSON export is designed for developers. Each book and its highlights are structured as nested objects. Use this format if you want to build your own tools, run scripts, or feed your highlights into a personal API or static site generator.
Free vs PRO
The Kindle Highlights Exporter is free for everyone. The free tier exports the first book from your My Clippings.txt file in any format. For readers who have highlights across many books (or own multiple Kindles), the PRO version removes all limits with a single one-time payment.
Feature Comparison
No subscription. No recurring fees. Licensed per device.
Buy PRO KeyThe PRO key works on up to 3 devices and includes free updates for the current major version. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Export Your Kindle Highlights Now
No sign-up. No uploads. No servers. Just drag, drop, and export.
Open Kindle Highlights Exporter →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I export Kindle highlights to Markdown?
Connect your Kindle via USB, locate My Clippings.txt in the documents/ folder, then drag the file onto the Kindle Highlights Exporter. Click “Export as Markdown” and a .md file is downloaded to your computer.
Where is My Clippings.txt stored on Kindle?
My Clippings.txt is located in the Kindle/documents/ folder. Connect your Kindle to a computer via USB, open the Kindle drive, and look inside the documents directory.
Can I export Kindle highlights without a computer?
Unfortunately, the My Clippings.txt file can only be accessed by connecting your Kindle to a computer via USB. There is no built-in Kindle feature to email or share the file directly. However, the process takes less than a minute once your Kindle is connected.
Does the tool work with the Kindle app (iOS/Android)?
The Kindle app on phones and tablets does not expose My Clippings.txt directly. You need a physical Kindle device or Kindle Fire tablet connected via USB. If you only use the Kindle app, you can access your highlights through Amazon’s Kindle Notebook page (read.amazon.com/notebook) but Amazon does not offer a bulk download option there.
Is this tool safe? Will my data be uploaded?
Yes, it is completely safe. All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your My Clippings.txt file never leaves your device. There is no server, no backend, and no data storage. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the tool will still work.
What if I have highlights from multiple Kindles?
If you own multiple Kindles, each device has its own My Clippings.txt file. Currently, you need to export from each device separately. The PRO version can be activated across 3 devices, so you can process each Kindle file individually.
Can I import my Kindle highlights into Obsidian or Notion?
Yes. Export using the Markdown format and either copy-paste the content or save the .md file directly into your Obsidian vault. For Notion, you can import the Markdown file or paste the content into a page. CSV export also works for Notion’s database import feature.
Does the tool work with Scribe or other clippings formats?
No. The tool is designed specifically for the standard My Clippings.txt format used by Kindle devices and apps. Other e-reader platforms use different file formats and are not currently supported.
Exporting your Kindle highlights is one of those tasks that takes two minutes but pays off for years. Once your highlights are in an open format like Markdown or CSV, they become part of your personal knowledge management system rather than being locked in Amazon’s ecosystem.
Try the Kindle Highlights Exporter now and take control of your reading data.