diff --git a/tests/workspace/test_parsers.py b/tests/workspace/test_parsers.py
index 0c01a43182..e4e9dfd653 100644
--- a/tests/workspace/test_parsers.py
+++ b/tests/workspace/test_parsers.py
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+import sys
+import types
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
 import pytest
 
 from workspace.constants import BINARY_SUFFIXES, CODE_SUFFIXES, MARKDOWN_SUFFIXES, PARSEABLE_SUFFIXES
@@ -55,3 +60,114 @@ class TestParsingConfig:
         cfg = ParsingConfig.model_validate({"default": "markitdown", "future_key": True})
         assert cfg.default == "markitdown"
         assert not hasattr(cfg, "future_key")
+
+
+class TestFileParserABC:
+    def test_cannot_instantiate_directly(self):
+        from workspace.parsers import FileParser
+
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+            FileParser()
+
+    def test_parse_returns_none_on_exception(self):
+        from workspace.parsers import FileParser
+
+        class ExplodingParser(FileParser):
+            name = "exploding"
+
+            def supported_suffixes(self) -> frozenset[str]:
+                return frozenset({".boom"})
+
+            def _convert(self, path: Path) -> str:
+                raise RuntimeError("kaboom")
+
+        parser = ExplodingParser()
+        result = parser.parse(Path("/fake/file.boom"))
+        assert result is None
+
+    def test_parse_returns_none_on_empty_output(self):
+        from workspace.parsers import FileParser
+
+        class EmptyParser(FileParser):
+            name = "empty"
+
+            def supported_suffixes(self) -> frozenset[str]:
+                return frozenset({".empty"})
+
+            def _convert(self, path: Path) -> str:
+                return "   \n  \n  "
+
+        parser = EmptyParser()
+        result = parser.parse(Path("/fake/file.empty"))
+        assert result is None
+
+    def test_parse_returns_content_on_success(self):
+        from workspace.parsers import FileParser
+
+        class GoodParser(FileParser):
+            name = "good"
+
+            def supported_suffixes(self) -> frozenset[str]:
+                return frozenset({".good"})
+
+            def _convert(self, path: Path) -> str:
+                return "# Converted\n\nContent."
+
+        parser = GoodParser()
+        result = parser.parse(Path("/fake/file.good"))
+        assert result == "# Converted\n\nContent."
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_markitdown():
+    """Mock the markitdown module regardless of whether it's installed."""
+    mock_result = MagicMock()
+    mock_result.markdown = "# Converted\n\nParsed content from document."
+    mock_instance = MagicMock()
+    mock_instance.convert.return_value = mock_result
+    mock_class = MagicMock(return_value=mock_instance)
+
+    module = types.ModuleType("markitdown")
+    module.MarkItDown = mock_class
+
+    with patch.dict(sys.modules, {"markitdown": module}):
+        yield mock_instance
+
+
+class TestMarkitdownParser:
+    def test_name(self):
+        from workspace.parsers import MarkitdownParser
+
+        assert MarkitdownParser.name == "markitdown"
+
+    def test_supported_suffixes(self):
+        from workspace.parsers import MarkitdownParser
+
+        suffixes = MarkitdownParser().supported_suffixes()
+        assert ".pdf" in suffixes
+        assert ".docx" in suffixes
+        assert ".pptx" in suffixes
+
+    def test_parse_calls_markitdown_convert(self, tmp_path, mock_markitdown):
+        from workspace.parsers import MarkitdownParser
+
+        pdf = tmp_path / "report.pdf"
+        pdf.write_bytes(b"%PDF-1.4 fake content")
+
+        parser = MarkitdownParser()
+        result = parser.parse(pdf)
+
+        assert result == "# Converted\n\nParsed content from document."
+        mock_markitdown.convert.assert_called_once_with(str(pdf))
+
+    def test_parse_returns_none_when_markitdown_not_installed(self, tmp_path):
+        from workspace.parsers import MarkitdownParser
+
+        pdf = tmp_path / "report.pdf"
+        pdf.write_bytes(b"%PDF-1.4 fake")
+
+        with patch.dict(sys.modules, {"markitdown": None}):
+            parser = MarkitdownParser()
+            result = parser.parse(pdf)
+
+        assert result is None
diff --git a/workspace/parsers.py b/workspace/parsers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..77f27aed59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workspace/parsers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+"""File parsers -- convert binary formats (.pdf, .docx, .pptx) to markdown.
+
+FileParser ABC defines the contract. Built-in backends: markitdown, pandoc.
+CompositeParser routes extensions to the configured backend.
+"""
+
+import logging
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import ClassVar
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class FileParser(ABC):
+    name: ClassVar[str]
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def supported_suffixes(self) -> frozenset[str]: ...
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _convert(self, path: Path) -> str: ...
+
+    def parse(self, path: Path) -> str | None:
+        try:
+            result = self._convert(path)
+            return result if result and result.strip() else None
+        except Exception as exc:
+            log.warning("Parser %s failed on %s: %s", self.name, path, exc)
+            return None
+
+
+class MarkitdownParser(FileParser):
+    name = "markitdown"
+
+    def supported_suffixes(self) -> frozenset[str]:
+        return frozenset({".pdf", ".docx", ".pptx"})
+
+    def _convert(self, path: Path) -> str:
+        from markitdown import MarkItDown
+
+        md = MarkItDown()
+        result = md.convert(str(path))
+        return result.markdown