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Markdown Link Reference Extractor

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Extract reference-style Markdown links ([text][ref]) and their [ref]: url definitions, flagging unresolved references and unused definitions

Paste a Markdown document and this tool pulls out every reference-style link, the [text][ref] and shortcut [text][] forms, along with image references like ![alt][ref], and matches each one against its [ref]: url definition. It flags usages that point at a definition which doesn't exist and definitions nobody ever references, the two mistakes that break silently when a long README or docs page gets edited over time. Inline links written as [text](url) aren't reference-style and are intentionally skipped.

markdownlinksreference-styledocumentationlint

How to use Markdown Link Reference Extractor

  • 1.Paste the full Markdown document, including both the [text][ref] usages and the [ref]: url definitions.
  • 2.Review the resolved list to see which links matched a definition, plus the url and title each one resolved to.
  • 3.Fix any entries under unresolved references (a usage with no definition) or unused definitions (a definition nothing links to).

Frequently asked questions

Does this handle inline links like [text](url)?
No, inline links already carry their own URL and have nothing to resolve, so they're intentionally out of scope. Only the double-bracket [text][ref] and [text][] reference forms are extracted.
What about bare shortcut references like [ref] with no second bracket?
Those aren't supported. This tool only matches the explicit [text][ref] and [text][] syntax, not CommonMark's implicit single-bracket shortcut form.
How are labels matched if the casing or spacing differs?
Labels are normalized by trimming, collapsing internal whitespace, and lowercasing before comparison, matching CommonMark's own link-label normalization, so [My Ref] and [my ref] resolve to the same definition.
What happens if the same label is defined twice?
The first definition for a given label wins and later duplicates are ignored, again matching CommonMark's behavior.

Use via API, SDK, or MCP

cURL# Free: 1,000 req/day · Pro: 10,000 req/day
curl -X POST https://api.utilix.tech/v1/tools/markdown-link-reference-extractor \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer utx_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"markdown":"See the [docs][api-ref].\n\n[api-ref]: https://example.com/api \"API Reference\""}'

Get an API key from your dashboard · Full API docs →

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