How to convert a Word document to text or HTML
Read a .docx without Word, or strip a document down to text you can actually paste somewhere.
A .docx is a zip containing XML. The words are in there, wrapped in a great deal of formatting information, and this pulls them out.
Step-by-step
- Add your .docx.
- Choose plain text or HTML.
- Copy or download.
Which output to choose
Plain text when you want the words and nothing else — for pasting into a plain-text field, counting, or feeding into another tool.
HTML when structure matters. Headings stay headings, lists stay lists, bold and italic survive. This is the one to use when moving a document into a website or a content system.
Why this beats copy and paste
Copying from Word and pasting into a web editor brings a mass of inline styling with it — fonts, sizes, colours and spacing that fight with the site's own design and are tedious to strip. Converting to clean HTML gives you the structure without the mess.
What does not survive
- Images are not carried into plain text.
- Tracked changes and comments are not part of the readable text.
- Complex layout — text boxes, columns and floated elements — flattens into reading order.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Word installed?
No. The file is unpacked and read in your browser.
Is .doc supported as well as .docx?
The modern .docx format is what this reads. The older binary .doc is a different format entirely; open it in a word processor and save it as .docx first.
Which should I pick for pasting into a website?
HTML. It keeps headings, lists and emphasis without the inline styling that copy-and-paste from Word drags along.
Open the text tools →