Bridgex is designed for a fast, minimal workflow: open a file, review the converted Markdown, make any edits you need, and save. This guide walks you through that complete cycle from launch to your first savedDocumentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/dev2forge/bridgex/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
.md file. No configuration is required for most formats — an API key is only needed if you want AI-generated descriptions for JPEG images.
Before You Begin
Make sure Bridgex is installed for your platform. If you have not installed it yet, see the Installation guide. For basic use (converting PDFs, spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint files, HTML, CSV, XML/RSS, and ZIP archives), no API key or additional setup is needed.Converting JPEG image files with AI-generated descriptions requires an LLM API key. You can configure this under Help → LLM API Key (
Ctrl+K) at any time. See the LLM Integration guide for setup instructions.Supported Formats
Bridgex can open and convert the following file types:| Format | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | .xlsx, .xls |
| Microsoft Word | .docx |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | .pptx |
.pdf | |
| HTML | .html, .htm |
| Images | .jpg, .jpeg |
| CSV | .csv |
| RSS / XML | .xml, .rss, .atom |
| ZIP archives | .zip |
Convert Your First File
Launch Bridgex
Start Bridgex from your terminal or from the installed application shortcut:The application opens with the title Bridgex - Rust + Freya and a minimum window size of 900×700 px. You will see a menu bar at the top with File and Help menus, and an empty two-pane layout below.
Open a file
Use either of these methods to open a supported file:
- Press
Ctrl+O(orCmd+Oon macOS) - Click File → Open in the menu bar
Review the converted Markdown
Bridgex immediately converts the file using the Markitdown-rs library and populates the left-hand code editor with the resulting Markdown text. The right-hand pane renders a live formatted preview of the same content.
Edit the Markdown if needed
The left pane is a fully editable Markdown code editor with syntax highlighting. Click anywhere in the editor and type to refine headings, fix formatting, remove unwanted content, or add your own notes. The preview on the right updates in real time as you make changes.
Save your Markdown file
When you are satisfied with the output, save it using either:
Ctrl+S(orCmd+Son macOS)- File → Save in the menu bar
.md extension, and click Save.Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
The table below summarises the keyboard shortcuts available in Bridgex, sourced directly from the application source code:| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+O | Open a file |
Ctrl+S | Save the current Markdown |
Ctrl+Q | Exit the application |
Ctrl+I | Toggle the About dialog |
Ctrl+L | Toggle the Licenses dialog |
Ctrl+K | Toggle the LLM API Key settings |
Configuring LLM Image Descriptions
If you are converting JPEG images and want Bridgex to include AI-generated descriptions in the Markdown output, you need to provide an LLM API key:- Open Help → LLM API Key from the menu bar, or press
Ctrl+K. - Enter your API key, client name, and model identifier in the settings popup.
- Click Save — the configuration is persisted locally and applied to all subsequent image conversions.
LLM settings are optional. All other supported formats (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, HTML, CSV, XML/RSS, ZIP) convert without any API key. For full setup details, see the LLM Integration guide.