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Import guide
Folio Studio imports .md, .pdf, .docx and .odt formats and automatically transforms them into book chapters. This page covers the rules for the Markdown format.
1. One file = an entire novel
If your novel is in a single file, separate each chapter with a level-1 heading (#). Folio Studio will automatically split the file into as many chapters as there are H1 headings.
# PROLOGUE
Prologue content...
# CHAPTER 01 - THE ARRIVAL
Chapter 1 content...
# CHAPTER 02 - THE ENCOUNTER
Chapter 2 content...
# EPILOGUE
Epilogue content...Folio Studio creates 4 distinct chapters and automatically detects Prologue and Epilogue.
2. Multiple files = one file per chapter
You can also import multiple files at once. Each file becomes a chapter. The title is extracted from the first H1 found, or from the filename if none exists.
PROLOGUE.md → title: "PROLOGUE"
CHAPTER_01_ARRIVAL.md → title: "CHAPTER 01 - THE ARRIVAL"
CHAPTER_02_ENCOUNTER.md → title: "CHAPTER 02 - THE ENCOUNTER"
EPILOGUE.md → title: "EPILOGUE"Drop all files at once into the import zone.
3. Automatic type detection
Folio Studio recognizes certain keywords in the chapter title and automatically assigns the correct type. You can always change it afterwards.
| Keyword in title | Assigned type | Position |
|---|---|---|
| prologue, dedication, preface, foreword, introduction | Front matter | Beginning of book |
| (everything else) | Chapter | Body of book |
| epilogue, acknowledgments, afterword, bibliography, appendix | Back matter | End of book |
Detection is case-insensitive. "EPILOGUE", "epilogue" and "Epilogue" are all recognized.
4. Text formatting
Folio Studio supports common markdown elements:
Markdown
# Chapter title
## Section subtitle
Normal paragraph.
**bold text**
*italic text*
> A memorable quote.
---Result in book
Chapter title
Section subtitle
Normal paragraph.
bold text
italic text
A memorable quote.
* * *
5. Scene breaks
To indicate a scene change within a chapter, use ---. Folio Studio converts them into visual dividers adapted to the chosen template.
The door closed behind him.
---
Three days later, she received the letter.6. What is not supported
These elements are ignored or simplified:
- ✕Images (not embedded in epub, Phase 2)
- ✕Markdown tables
- ✕Code blocks (```)
- ✕Inline HTML
- ✕Bullet and numbered lists (rendered as plain text)
7. PDF import
Folio Studio also accepts .pdf files and detects chapters by analyzing character size. Works best with PDFs generated from a word processor.
8. Practical tips
- 1Save your files in UTF-8 to avoid encoding issues.
- 2Start each chapter with an H1 heading: Folio Studio uses it to extract the title.
- 3You can change the type and order of chapters after import from the project page.
- 4The Free plan accepts files up to 5 MB. The Pro plan accepts up to 50 MB.