Convert a Word Document to HTML

Converting .doc, .docx, or .odf files to HTML is easy to do, but there's no single perfect method for accomplishing this task. If you want to create a web page that will load quickly and display consistently on all browsers, use an online tool to convert your Word document to HTML. If you'd like to save as much of your formatting as possible, use Word's built-in "Save As" ability to convert the document instead.

Steps

Using Online Tools or Software

  1. Use a simple online tool. One of the quickest, easiest options is to copy-paste your Word document into TextFixer's converter, or upload it to Online-Convert.com. These free tools quickly create a version of the document into HTML, but some of your formatting may be lost.
  2. Use a tool with more options. If you'd like more conversion options, or you don't like the results from the tools above, one of these other free online tools might have what you're looking for:
    • Word2CleanHTML strips most of the formatting from the document, to make an HTML document that follows best web developer practices.[1] It also offers several options for how to make specific converting decisions, such as how to handle non-standard characters or empty paragraphs.
    • ZamZar.com's converter allows both ordinary html5 conversion, and conversion to the deprecated html4 format, which will still work on most browsers and may be more familiar for some users. This tool requires an email address to use.
    • wordtohtml.net like the other online converters Word to HTML lets you paste your text and get an instant conversion. In addition to the normal features it also offers control over what content to remove (images, tables etc.). It also offers the option to use advanced find and replace commands, as well as regular expression support.
  3. Use Google Drive. This may be a good option if you are working on a Word document collaboratively, so you can share the document with collaborators, then invite them to follow this step to see the exact HTML document you're converting to:[2]
    • Sign in to a Google account at Google Drive.
    • Click the red Create button, then select Document.
    • Copy-paste your Word document into the blank Google Drive document.
    • Use Google Drive's menu to select File → Download as → web page.
  4. Use more advanced software for large jobs. If you have to convert hundreds of files to HTML, use commercial software that can convert them all at once. Here are a couple options that have free trials available:

Using Word's Built-in Converter

  1. Open the document in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice. Word has the built-in ability to convert documents into HTML format. The result is usually bulkier than a standard HTML page, and may contain formatting that does not work on all browsers. For example it does not use the standard HTML list tags for lists, instead it relies on heavy use of CSS to style documents. [3] It will, however, still contain formatting information that can be used to convert it back into an ordinary Word document for later editing.
  2. Select "Save As." Go to the File menu and select "Save As." On some versions of Word, such as Word 2012, the Save As option is found under the "Home" button instead.
  3. Choose "Web Page." Once you select "Save As," you'll be taken to screen with a drop-down menu, listing the types of file formats you can save as. Select "Web Page" to save it as an HTML file.[4]
    • If you cannot find this option, edit the file name by adding your own .htm or .html extension, then surrounding the file name with quotation marks: "ExampleFile.html".
  4. Save it as "Web Page, Filtered" if available. On some versions of Word, you can save it as a "slimmer" HTML file that looks the same, but will load faster as a web page. If you do not plan to convert the document back to a Word file again later, select "Web Page, Filtered" instead.[4]
    • If this options is not available in your software, save it as a normal "Web Page," then use AlgoTech's Mess Cleaner tool online to convert to a slimmer HTML file.



Tips

  • Use Microsoft Word's View → Web Layout command to get a sneak preview of what the HTML file will look like.

Warnings

  • It is not always possible to keep all of your Word formatting and styles during the conversion, and still have the HTML file display consistently on all browsers. You might need to Style-a-Page-Using-CSS to achieve this on your website.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://word2cleanhtml.com/about
  2. ↑ https://www.udemy.com/blog/convert-word-to-html/
  3. ↑ http://www.evagoras.com/2011/02/10/exporting-word-files-to-html/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://support2.constantcontact.com/articles/FAQ/1489
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