Skip to content

Word DOCX to OpenDocument Text converter

DOCX to ODT uses our office engine's office import path, so Word content is rewritten into an OpenDocument Text package.

  • Converted with Office engine · input deleted within 24 h
  • Free: 5 conversions a day · 5 MB each
  • Higher limits →

From real runs

What you get — and what changes

  • Container format Changed

    The output became an ODT zip with content.xml, styles.xml, metadata, and a Pictures directory when media existed.

  • Headings Kept

    The rich document retained heading structure in content.xml after the Word-to-OpenDocument rewrite.

  • Tables Kept

    The migration table kept its headers and numeric cells as OpenDocument table markup.

  • Footnotes Kept

    The reviewer footnote text moved into content.xml and appeared near the reference in extracted text.

  • Images Kept

    The test PNG was stored under Pictures with a generated OpenDocument media filename.

  • Figure captions Changed

    Extracted text showed the alt text and caption twice around the tiny image after conversion.

  • Word-specific metadata Changed

    The ODT output kept editable content but rewrote package metadata and application-specific Word settings.

Sample conversions

Rich DOCX to OpenDocument

Input
12 KB DOCX with styled headings, a table, a footnote, a block quote, and a small PNG.
Output
The 19 KB ODT kept heading text, table cells, footnote text, and Pictures/100000010000000100000001028F582B9643F048.png.

Feedback Atlas DOCX

Input
Sample DOCX with metrics table, two bullet points, and a two-step numbered action list.
Output
The ODT content.xml kept the title, table values, and list text. No media folder was created because the fixture had no images.

A real Word DOCX → OpenDocument Text run

We converted our Word DOCX sample (11 KB) with Office engine on 2026-09-11. It took 539 ms and produced a 20 KB OpenDocument Text file, 1.8× larger than the input. The engine raised no warnings.

Input · sample.docx · 11 KB

Word document: 18 paragraphs, 3 headings, 1 table, 0 embedded images; fonts Consolas

Paragraphs
18
Headings
3
Tables
1
Images
0
Archive parts
16
Fonts
Consolas

Output · sample.odt · 20 KB

OpenDocument text: 15 paragraphs, 3 headings, 1 table, 0 pictures

Paragraphs
15
Headings
3
Tables
1
Rows
3
Slides
0
Pictures
0
Archive parts
15

Options and when to change them

filter
Use only for a specific our office engine writer filter override; the default ODT export is normally the safer choice.

Do it yourself

LibreOffice

bash
soffice --headless --convert-to odt --outdir out input.docx

Open the ODT in LibreOffice and check captions, styles, and pagination before sending it to OpenOffice or Writer users.

Word DOCX to OpenDocument Text by API or MCP

The HTTP API and the MCP server run the exact engine this page uses (Office engine); the response carries the same warnings the web converter shows. Check support first with GET /api/v1/pairs?from=docx&to=odt.

curl
curl -X POST https://filetypeconverters.com/api/v1/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FTC_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@input.docx" -F "from=docx" -F "to=odt" \
  --output output.odt
API reference

When this is the wrong conversion

  • If collaborators are staying in Microsoft Word, /convert/docx-to-pdf or the original DOCX is less disruptive.
  • If the document uses Word macros or form controls, ODT will not preserve that automation as working features.
  • If exact print output is the deliverable, export /convert/docx-to-pdf instead of changing office formats.

Word DOCX to OpenDocument Text questions

Does DOCX to ODT keep images inside the file?

Yes for the rich sample. Our office engine placed the image in the ODT Pictures folder and kept a body reference to it.

Are Word footnotes editable after DOCX to ODT?

They are carried into the OpenDocument content rather than flattened to plain body text. Complex reference formatting can still shift when opened in another editor.

Why did my caption appear twice?

The rich run exposed both the image alternative text and the caption text. Review figures after conversion when accessibility text and visible captions differ.

Related conversions