feat(cli): support MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT / MARKITDOWN_DOCINTEL_ENDPOINT

README.md

@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@ Content Understanding is ideal when you need capabilities beyond what built-in o
 markitdown path-to-file.pdf --use-cu --cu-endpoint "<content_understanding_endpoint>"
 ```
 
+The endpoint can also be set once in the environment, so callers only need `--use-cu`:
+
+```bash
+export MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT="<content_understanding_endpoint>"
+markitdown path-to-file.pdf --use-cu
+```
+
 **Python API:**
 
 ```python
@@ -244,6 +251,13 @@ To use Microsoft Document Intelligence for conversion:
 markitdown path-to-file.pdf -o document.md -d -e "<document_intelligence_endpoint>"
 ```
 
+The endpoint can also be set once in the environment, so callers only need `-d`:
+
+```bash
+export MARKITDOWN_DOCINTEL_ENDPOINT="<document_intelligence_endpoint>"
+markitdown path-to-file.pdf -o document.md -d
+```
+
 More information about how to set up an Azure Document Intelligence Resource can be found [here](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ai-services/document-intelligence/how-to-guides/create-document-intelligence-resource?view=doc-intel-4.0.0)
 
 ### Python API

packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/__main__.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 import argparse
+import os
 import sys
 import codecs
 from typing import Any, Dict
@@ -98,13 +99,15 @@ def main():
         "-e",
         "--endpoint",
         type=str,
-        help="Document Intelligence Endpoint. Required if using Document Intelligence.",
+        default=os.environ.get("MARKITDOWN_DOCINTEL_ENDPOINT") or None,
+        help="Document Intelligence Endpoint. Required if using Document Intelligence. Defaults to the MARKITDOWN_DOCINTEL_ENDPOINT environment variable.",
     )
 
     parser.add_argument(
         "--cu-endpoint",
         type=str,
-        help="Content Understanding Endpoint. Required if using --use-cu.",
+        default=os.environ.get("MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT") or None,
+        help="Content Understanding Endpoint. Required if using --use-cu. Defaults to the MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT environment variable.",
     )
 
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -204,6 +207,7 @@ def main():
         if args.endpoint is None:
             _exit_with_error(
                 "Document Intelligence Endpoint is required when using Document Intelligence."
+                "Pass -e/--endpoint or set MARKITDOWN_DOCINTEL_ENDPOINT."
             )
         elif args.filename is None:
             _exit_with_error("Filename is required when using Document Intelligence.")
@@ -215,6 +219,7 @@ def main():
         if args.cu_endpoint is None:
             _exit_with_error(
                 "Content Understanding Endpoint (--cu-endpoint) is required when using --use-cu."
+                "Pass --cu-endpoint or set MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT."
             )
 
         cu_kwargs: Dict[str, Any] = {

packages/markitdown/tests/test_cu_converter.py

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 """
 
 import io
+import os
 import sys
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
@@ -801,6 +802,7 @@ def test_use_cu_without_endpoint_exits(self):
             [sys.executable, "-m", "markitdown", "--use-cu", "fake.pdf"],
             capture_output=True,
             text=True,
+            env={**os.environ, "MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT": ""},
         )
         assert result.returncode != 0
         assert (
@@ -961,3 +963,73 @@ def test_missing_deps_message(self):
 
         assert "az-content-understanding" in str(exc_info.value)
         assert exc_info.value.__cause__ is import_error
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Endpoint environment variables (issue #2326)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestEndpointEnvVars:
+    """Endpoint flags fall back to operator-configured environment variables."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "env_var, argv, kwarg",
+        [
+            (
+                "MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT",
+                ["markitdown", "--use-cu", "fake.pdf"],
+                "cu_endpoint",
+            ),
+            (
+                "MARKITDOWN_DOCINTEL_ENDPOINT",
+                ["markitdown", "-d", "fake.pdf"],
+                "docintel_endpoint",
+            ),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_endpoint_read_from_environment(self, monkeypatch, env_var, argv, kwarg):
+        """With the env var set, the endpoint flag can be omitted entirely."""
+        from markitdown.__main__ import main
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv(env_var, "https://from-env")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", argv)
+
+        with patch("markitdown.__main__.MarkItDown") as mock_markitdown:
+            main()
+
+        assert mock_markitdown.call_args.kwargs[kwarg] == "https://from-env"
+
+    def test_flag_overrides_environment(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Fails if the env var is ever read after parsing instead of as an argparse default."""
+        from markitdown.__main__ import main
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT", "https://from-env")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            sys,
+            "argv",
+            [
+                "markitdown",
+                "--use-cu",
+                "--cu-endpoint",
+                "https://from-flag",
+                "fake.pdf",
+            ],
+        )
+
+        with patch("markitdown.__main__.MarkItDown") as mock_markitdown:
+            main()
+
+        assert mock_markitdown.call_args.kwargs["cu_endpoint"] == "https://from-flag"
+
+    def test_empty_environment_variable_is_treated_as_unset(self, monkeypatch, capsys):
+        """An empty env var must not pass as a valid endpoint."""
+        from markitdown.__main__ import main
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT", "")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["markitdown", "--use-cu", "fake.pdf"])
+
+        with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+            main()
+
+        assert "MARKITDOWN_CU_ENDPOINT" in capsys.readouterr().out