Convert Word to ODT (OpenDocument Text)
For the council, the university, or whoever asked for an .odt.
or drop your Word file anywhere on this page
Takes DOCX and DOC files · DOCX → ODT
When you need an .odt instead of a .docx
To change DOCX to ODT, press Select Word file or drop your .docx here, then press Convert to ODT. There is nothing to set: our server opens the document and saves it as OpenDocument Text in one step, graded Exact. The name stays the same, so Planning notes.docx comes back as Planning notes.odt, and an older .doc goes the same way.
Most people need this format because someone asked for it. LibreOffice Writer saves in it by default, and some councils and government offices want OpenDocument for any document they share and edit, a rule that comes from buying policy rather than from anything wrong with Word. Our guide explains why councils ask for .odt.
How to convert DOCX to ODT
- 1Select or drop your Word file
Nothing uploads until you press convert.
- 2Choose your options
We show the route and its fidelity grade up front.
- 3Download your ODT
Then it is deleted after 24 hours, automatically.
Modern Word. The default way the working world writes things down.
The open standard. Governments and open-source office suites love it.
One step, one tool. Nothing is interpreted on the way.
What comes across from Word
We built a two-page document with the parts a report or a planning letter tends to have, converted it here and opened the OpenDocument copy to check each one. Each one came through:
| In the original | After converting |
|---|---|
| Bold, italic, underlined, coloured and highlighted words, with accents | Unchanged |
| Heading 1, Heading 2 and a style we made ourselves | Kept, each under its own name |
| A bulleted list, and a numbered one with a sub-level (1., a)) | The same bullets and numbers |
| A table with a shaded top row and a merged cell | Unchanged, merged cell included |
| A picture | Identical, byte for byte: not recompressed |
| A web link, a footnote, a header and a page number in the footer | All present |
| A comment, and tracked changes | Still there, with the reviewer's name and the date |
| The A4 page, and the title and author in the file's properties | Unchanged |
| An equation | Kept, and still editable |
An equation comes through as one you can still edit. Word can also make the file itself: choose File, then Save a Copy or Save As, Browse, and OpenDocument Text. But Microsoft says Word accepts every tracked change when it saves in this format, so convert here when the tracked changes matter.
Going back to Word later
Both formats are zip archives with XML files inside, which is why a document can move between the two and back. If the file returns with edits and you want to carry on in Word, convert ODT back to Word. We did that with our test file: the headings and our own style kept their names, the lists kept their numbers and bullets, the comment and tracked changes were still there, and the pages matched the original.
Not starting from Word? When a PDF is all you have, turn a PDF into an ODT: that route rebuilds the document from the PDF's pages, so it is graded Very good rather than Exact. For a saved web page, convert HTML to ODT in one step.
Questions people ask
How do I convert a DOCX file to ODT?
Press Select Word file, or drop the .docx on this page, then press Convert to ODT and download the result. The free plan converts three files a day, one at a time, up to 25 MB each, with no account, and both files are deleted after 24 hours.
Can I convert an old .doc file to ODT?
Yes. This page takes DOCX and DOC files, and the older format is also one step, graded Exact. Our Word 97 test file came through just as the .docx did.
Do a reviewer's tracked changes and comments come through?
Yes. In our test the tracked insertion and deletion were still tracked after converting, with the reviewer's name and the date, and the comment kept its author. Saving from Word is different: Microsoft says Word accepts every tracked change when it saves an OpenDocument file.
What is the difference between DOCX and ODT?
DOCX has been Word's default format since 2007. ODT, OpenDocument Text, is an open ISO standard and the format LibreOffice saves by default. Both are zip archives of XML, and for an ordinary document with headings, lists, tables and pictures they hold the same things.
Is converting Word to ODT free?
Yes. Up to 25 MB and three conversions a day are free, with no account. Pro and Business lift the file limit to 100 MB and remove the daily cap.
What happens to my files?
Both your Word and the ODT we produce are deleted 24 hours after each conversion, automatically. Try again and Continue to another tool start a new conversion, with its own 24 hours. Nothing is used for training and no human looks at your documents.
Will the ODT look exactly like the Word?
This pair grades as “Exact”. We show the exact route and that grade before you convert, so there are no surprises about what survives the trip.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Nothing to install. Pick or drop a file here, it's converted on our servers, and you download the result.
How large can my file be?
25 MB on the free plan, and 100 MB on Pro and Business.
Can I convert several files at once?
On Pro and Business, yes: add up to 100 files before converting. The free plan converts one file at a time.
