How to Convert GitHub README to PDF (The Right Way)

Your favorite library has amazing documentation.

It's all in a GitHub repo.

Scattered across 47 markdown files.

Good luck reading that on a plane.

Table of Contents

• The GitHub Docs Problem
• Manual Approaches (And Why They Suck)
  • Option 1: Read on GitHub
  • Option 2: Clone and Read Locally
  • Option 3: Copy-Paste to Google Docs
  • Option 4: Let AI Structure It For You
• The OfflineDocs GitHub Workflow
  • Step 1: Grab the Repo URL
  • Step 2: Paste It In
  • Step 3: Customize the Outline
  • Step 4: Pick Your Style
  • Step 5: Generate and Download
• Best Practices
  • Which Repos Work Best?
  • Handling Large Repos
  • Keeping Docs Updated
• Repos to Try Right Now
• Get Started

The GitHub Docs Problem

Some of the best developer documentation lives on GitHub:

• TanStack Query
• Zustand
• Jotai
• Countless internal company libraries

The docs are thorough. The examples are solid. The maintainers clearly care.

But the format? Chaos.

README.md here. A /docs folder there. API references buried in /packages/core/README.md. Getting started guide in the wiki (if you're lucky).

Try reading this sequentially. Try reading it offline. Try printing it.

You can't.

Manual Approaches (And Why They Suck)

Option 1: Read on GitHub

Technically works. But:

• Requires internet
• No offline mode
• Terrible reading experience
• Can't highlight or annotate
• Jumping between files constantly

Option 2: Clone and Read Locally

Better, but:

• Need git installed
• Still scattered markdown files
• Need a markdown viewer
• No unified navigation
• Still can't print nicely

Option 3: Copy-Paste to Google Docs

Please don't.

• Formatting breaks
• Links break
• Code blocks look terrible
• Takes forever
• Soul-crushing

Option 4: Let AI Structure It For You

This is where OfflineDocs comes in.

The OfflineDocs GitHub Workflow

Here's how to turn any GitHub repo into a clean PDF:

Step 1: Grab the Repo URL

Find the repository you want to convert.

https://github.com/TanStack/query

https://github.com/TanStack/query

That's it. Just the main repo URL.

Step 2: Paste It In

Go to OfflineDocs and paste the URL.

The AI crawls the repo, finds all the markdown files, and builds a structured outline.

Step 3: Customize the Outline

Maybe you don't need the changelog. Maybe you want to skip the contributing guide.

Toggle sections on or off. Reorder chapters. Keep what matters.

Step 4: Pick Your Style

Choose how your PDF looks:

• Classic Serif — bookworm vibes
• Modern Sans — clean and fast
• Technical — code-heavy, compact
• Compact Reference — dense but readable

Step 5: Generate and Download

Hit generate. Wait a minute or two.

Download your PDF.

Now you have a book.

Best Practices

Which Repos Work Best?

Great candidates:

• Libraries with /docs folders
• Projects with comprehensive READMEs
• Anything with markdown-based documentation
• Internal company libraries

Trickier (but still possible):

• Monorepos with scattered docs
• Wikis (may need URL instead)
• Auto-generated API docs

Handling Large Repos

For massive repos (like React or TypeScript), consider:

1. Generate just the "getting started" section first
2. Create separate PDFs for different topics
3. Focus on the /docs folder URL specifically

Keeping Docs Updated

GitHub docs change. Your PDF is a snapshot.

For actively-developed libraries, regenerate every few months. For stable tools, your PDF stays relevant for years.

Repos to Try Right Now

Here are some excellent repos to convert to PDF:

Pick one you've been meaning to learn.

Convert it.

Read it without GitHub's interface getting in the way.

Get Started

Stop fighting with scattered markdown files.

Stop losing your place when you close the tab.

Stop pretending you'll "read it later" when you have internet.

Turn that GitHub repo into a PDF. Read it on the train. Print it for your desk. Actually learn the thing.

Convert Your First Repo

Your future self — the one who finally understands that library — will thank you.