Document
What is a .docx file?
A .docx is a Microsoft Word document — the standard word-processing format since 2007. Plenty of free apps open it.
This extension has been used by more than one format
4 different formats have claimed .docx over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .docx file
- WindowsMicrosoft Word
- WindowsLibreOffice Writer (free)
- WindowsWord Online / Google Docs
- MacPages
- MacWord
- MacLibreOffice
- LinuxLibreOffice Writer
- LinuxOnlyOffice
How to convert a .docx file
- Save As → PDF for sharing, or → .doc for very old versions of Word.
MIME type
When a .docx file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.documentThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .docx.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word for Windows | 2007 onwards | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document | fmt/412 |
| Microsoft Office Owner File | — | — | fmt/473 |
| Microsoft Office Encrypted Document | 2007 Onwards | — | fmt/494 |
| DOCX Strict OOXML Document | 2007 onwards | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document | fmt/1827 |