How to import WeChat articles into SiYuan

Export Markdown, then choose an import method

After saving a WeChat article with WeChat to Markdown, you can manually import its Markdown file into SiYuan. This does not require configuring a SiYuan API token in the extension. For offline images, enable image downloads first, extract the whole ZIP and let SiYuan import the Markdown and its local images.

The full store plan also offers local integration. Select articles in the extension’s local library, enter your SiYuan connection details and click “Sync selected articles” to write them to SiYuan on your computer. This performs an import that you explicitly start; it does not mean automatic background sync, bidirectional updates or automatic image uploads. See the plan details for the single-article free allowance and advanced integration.

Method one: export files and import them manually

1. Save the WeChat article you need

   Install the extension from the installation page, open an article you have permission to read and choose Markdown export. For offline illustrations, enable “Download article images” to export a ZIP containing the body and images.

2. Prepare the import files

   If the output is a ZIP, extract it fully. Keep the .md file and _assets/stable-article-id/ folder in their relative positions within the account folder. Do not move only the Markdown file elsewhere.

3. Use SiYuan’s Markdown import

   In the SiYuan desktop app, choose your target notebook and use Markdown import to select the exported file. Use Markdown folder import for a collection of files. Extract an ordinary article ZIP first; it is not a SiYuan Data backup or native .sy.zip document archive.

4. Open and check the new document

   Check the title, beginning and end of the body, source link and illustrations. If you need offline access, disconnect from the network and reopen the document to confirm that images became SiYuan assets rather than merely displaying from their original URLs.

SiYuan’s official import/export guide explains that existing images referenced by local relative paths can become assets during Markdown import; hidden paths starting with a dot are excluded. Image files must actually exist before import. Keeping the folder structure does not repair failed downloads. See “Import and export” in the official SiYuan user guide.

Method two: connect the article library to local SiYuan

This suits users who have collected articles in the local library and want to write a selection into a particular notebook. Confirm that your plan includes local integration, then test the setup with one article.

1. Start the SiYuan desktop app

   Keep SiYuan running and confirm that the target notebook is available. Prepare your API token and notebook ID. The ID is an identifier, not the notebook’s display name.

2. Enter the connection details in the extension

   Open the SiYuan menu in the local article library and fill in Address, Token, Notebook ID and Directory. The default address is http://127.0.0.1:6806. The directory field defaults to /网页文章库, meaning “web article library”; you can choose your own directory name. Enter the actual port if your local service uses a different one, and do not append an API path.

3. Select one article and start the import

   Select a saved article, then click “Sync selected articles.” On the first connection, follow the browser prompt to allow access to the configured local address. Read the success or failure feedback when the operation finishes.

4. Check the document before importing more

   Find the new document in SiYuan and check its notebook, location and body. Once the settings are correct, filter and select more articles in the library to import.

The current official SiYuan guide places the API token under Settings → Authentication → API token. If you have already configured SiYuan’s command-line interface, siyuan notebook list lets you inspect the notebook list and check the ID. See “Web clipping” and “Command-line interface” in the official guide for version and environment details. Enter the token only in the extension’s connection settings, not in article text, screenshots or support messages.

Example: file an article about cache updates

Suppose the selected article is “Cache update practices” from “Example account,” the target notebook is “Engineering references,” and you set the directory to /Web articles. The local integration organizes documents as “configured directory / account or site name / article title.” The destination looks like this:

Engineering references (target notebook)
└── Web articles
    └── Example account
        └── Cache update practices

This illustrates a document location inside SiYuan. It is not an instruction to copy Markdown directly into the workspace’s data directory. With manual import, the document location follows the import destination you choose in SiYuan.

Check the body and images separately

• Body: inspect headings, lists, quotations, code and the original source link. Confirm that important paragraphs are present.
• Images from manual import: local image files must exist at the correct paths. After import, check that they work offline as SiYuan assets.
• Images from local integration: the integration sends the Markdown stored in the article library without uploading image files. Existing online image links may still require the network. “Sync succeeded” confirms the document write, not offline image storage.
• Importing again: inspect the destination first. The integration does not guarantee automatic deduplication, source-update detection or bidirectional merging. Repeated clicking is not a reliable way to test whether an article has changed.

Troubleshoot connection and import failures

SiYuan cannot be reached

Confirm that the desktop app is running, then check the local address, port and browser permission. The extension currently accepts only a local service root using http://127.0.0.1 or http://localhost. Remote servers, LAN IP addresses and HTTPS endpoints are outside this integration’s scope.

The token or notebook is rejected

Check that the API token belongs to the current SiYuan workspace and that you entered the actual target notebook ID. Do not substitute a notebook name, document ID or web login password. Correct the settings before retrying a small selection.

The body is imported, but images are not available offline

For local integration, this is the current feature boundary; use the manual Markdown workflow with local images when you need them. For manual import, check that the ZIP was fully extracted, the images downloaded successfully and their relative paths were not broken by moving or renaming files.

Connection details stay in the current browser. “Clear connection” in the article library clears the extension’s connection configuration; it does not back up or delete SiYuan documents. The extension library and SiYuan workspace are separate copies, so include both in your own backup plan when the material matters.

For image preparation, see the WeChat article image ZIP guide. For blogs or news, see webpages to Markdown. If you prefer a file-based notebook, follow the Obsidian workflow. Report detection or connection issues through the support page.

The full-plan integration described here belongs to the official store product, not the open-source Community MVP. See About for the distinction. A shorter Q&A is in import into Obsidian or SiYuan.