By name: markdown-section-link-exporter description: 'Extract and export flat URLs from a named markdown section and its subsections to a text file. Use when asked to extract links from a markdown section, flatten markdown links, export URLs from a section, get all links under a heading, or extract section/subsection link list.' user-invokable: true argument-hint: '[markdown file path] [section heading text]'
Markdown Section Link Exporter
Extract all URLs from a specified section (and its subsections) of a markdown file and write them as flat links (one URL per line) to a text file.
Script
The exporter is implemented as a PowerShell script:
.assets/scripts/Export-SectionLink.ps1
Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
-Path |
Yes | Full or relative path to the markdown (.md) file to parse. |
-Section |
Yes | The heading text to match (without leading # characters). Matches the first occurrence, case-insensitive. |
-OutputPath |
No | Override path for the output .txt file. Defaults to <input-basename>-links.txt in the same directory as the input file. |
Usage
# Extract all links under "Recommend a logging solution" (and its subsections)
.assets/scripts/Export-SectionLink.ps1 -Path "certs\AZ-305\research-guides\AZ-305 Deep Research Guide for Logging and Monitoring on Azure.md" -Section "Recommend a logging solution"
# Extract with a custom output path
.assets/scripts/Export-SectionLink.ps1 -Path "guide.md" -Section "Core docs you must read" -OutputPath "C:\temp\core-links.txt"
# Use -Verbose to see matched heading and line range
.assets/scripts/Export-SectionLink.ps1 -Path "guide.md" -Section "Recommend a monitoring solution" -Verbose
What the Script Does
- Validates the input file exists and is a
.mdfile. - Scans all headings to find the first heading whose text matches
-Section(case-insensitive). - Captures all content from that heading through its subsections — stopping at the next heading at the same or higher level (fewer or equal
#characters), or end of file. - Extracts all markdown links (
[text](url)) from the captured lines. - Deduplicates URLs (case-insensitive) and sorts them alphabetically.
- Writes one URL per line to the output text file (overwrites if it exists).
- Displays a summary: matched section name, link count, and output file path.
Behavior Notes
- Duplicate headings: If the same heading text appears under multiple parent sections (e.g., multiple "Prioritized reading list" subsections), the script matches the first occurrence in the file.
- Fragment-only anchors (
#some-anchor) are excluded from output. - Empty sections: If no links are found, the script warns and does not create an output file.
Workflow
When the user asks to extract or export links from a markdown section:
Step 1 — Identify Inputs
Determine the markdown file path and the section heading text from the user's request. If the user provides a file path, use it directly. If not, check the currently open editor file.
Step 2 — Run the Script
Execute the script in the terminal:
.assets/scripts/Export-SectionLink.ps1 -Path "<markdown-file>" -Section "<heading text>" -Verbose
Step 3 — Confirm Output
After the script runs, confirm:
- The matched section and heading level
- The number of unique links extracted
- The output file path
Report these to the user.