OmniDocHow to Convert a Word Document to a TXT File
Save a Word document as a plain .txt file in a few steps, and check what formatting, tables and special characters are lost along the way.
If you need the words from a Word document in a form that any program can read, a plain text file is the simplest choice. People often run into this when a form field accepts only pasted text, when a developer needs raw content for a script, or when an old system only reads .txt files. You want the text, and you do not want the bold headings, fonts or table borders that come with a .docx file.
The short answer is that you use the save or export command in your word processor and pick the plain text format. The steps below show how to do that, how to choose the right encoding, and how to check the result. The method is the same whether you use a desktop office suite or a web-based editor that supports .docx files.
Which conversion method fits your document? The short answer
Save the file as plain text (.txt) from your word processor. Plain text keeps the letters and punctuation, and it drops everything else, so decide first whether you need the layout or only the words.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You only need the words, such as for a form or a script | Save as plain text with UTF-8 encoding | Plain text keeps characters and line breaks, which is all these uses need |
| The document has accented letters, non-Latin scripts or symbols | Choose UTF-8 at the encoding step | UTF-8 covers a wide range of characters, so they are less likely to turn into question marks |
| The document has tables you need to read | Expect the table to become plain lines of text, then check the rows and columns | Plain text has no table structure, so cells are usually separated by spaces, tabs or line breaks |
| You need the headings, fonts or images | Keep the .docx file, or export to PDF instead | A .txt file cannot store styles, fonts or pictures |
| The document has comments or tracked changes | Accept or reject the changes and remove comments before saving | Plain text shows the text that remains, and it has no place for review marks |
Before you start
Check these points first, because they decide how clean the .txt file will be.
- Keep your original file. Save a copy of the .docx before you convert it. Plain text cannot bring back the headings, lists or table layout, so the original is your only full version.
- Resolve tracked changes. If the document has deleted or inserted text marked for review, accept or reject each change. Otherwise the deleted words may appear in the plain text file.
- Remove comments. Comments are notes for reviewers. A plain text file has no place for them, and they can end up as stray lines in the output.
- Look for images and text boxes. Pictures and floating text boxes do not carry over. If the text inside a text box matters, copy it into the body of the document first.
- Decide on the encoding. If the text contains accented letters, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cyrillic or symbols such as curly quotes and em dashes, plan to use UTF-8. A wrong encoding can make these characters look broken when someone opens the file.
Saving a Word document as a TXT file, step by step
- Make a copy of the original. Save the document under a new name, such as "report-original.docx", so you keep the formatted version.
- Resolve review marks. Accept or reject tracked changes and delete any comments you do not want in the output.
- Open the save or export command. Look for the option that saves a copy in another format, and choose the plain text format, which uses the .txt extension.
- Pick the encoding. If the save dialog asks for an encoding, choose UTF-8 unless the system that will read the file needs a different one.
- Choose line endings if asked. Some programs ask whether line breaks should follow Windows or Unix conventions. Pick the one used by the system that will open the file. If you are not sure, the default is usually fine for Windows users.
- Name the file and save it. Keep the .txt extension in the file name, and save it in a folder you can find again.
- Open the .txt file in a plain text editor. Use a basic text editor rather than the word processor, so you see exactly what was saved.
Check the result
Plain text conversion is simple, but it can leave small problems behind. Check these items before you use the file.
| Check | How to see it | If it's wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Missing text | Compare the first and last paragraphs with the original | Text in text boxes, footnotes or headers may be absent; copy it into the body and save again |
| Garbled characters | Look for question marks, boxes or odd symbols in accented words or quotation marks | Save again and choose UTF-8 encoding |
| Table layout | Scroll to a table and check whether each row is still readable | Rebuild the table as simple lines, or keep the .docx if the table structure matters |
| Lists and numbering | Check whether bullet points and numbers are still in order | Retype the numbers, or add them by hand in the text file |
| Deleted or review text | Search for words you removed during editing | Accept or reject the changes in the original, then save again |
| Line breaks | Check that paragraphs are separated and not joined into one long line | Add line breaks by hand, or check the line-ending setting and save again |
If you find a problem, fix it in the original .docx and convert again. Editing the .txt file works for small corrections, but repeating the save keeps the output consistent.
If the text will be translated or reviewed later, keep the .docx. Plain text removes the structure that helps a reader and a translation tool understand which words are headings, captions or table cells.
❓ FAQ
1. Will the text file keep my headings and bold text?
No. Plain text stores only characters and line breaks. Headings, bold, italics, colors and font choices are removed. If you need a clear heading structure, add simple markers such as a line of capital letters or a blank line by hand.
2. Why do my accented letters look wrong after I save?
The file was probably saved with an encoding the editor does not expect. Save again with UTF-8, then open the file in an editor that also reads UTF-8. This fixes most cases with accented letters or non-Latin scripts.
3. Can I convert a PDF to a TXT file the same way?
Not with the save command, because a PDF has no word processor document behind it. Copy the text from the PDF into a plain text editor, or use a text extraction tool. If the PDF is a scan, the text may not be selectable at all, and you will need OCR first. Check every line afterward, since OCR can misread characters.
4. Is saving as plain text the same as converting to Markdown?
No. Markdown keeps simple markers such as headings, bullet points and bold text, while plain text keeps none of them. If you want some structure without full formatting, a Markdown file may suit you better.
5. Should I use a free online converter instead?
You can, but check what the service does with your file. Look at the file size limit, whether watermarks are added, whether the service keeps copies of your document, and whether it handles encoding correctly. For private or unpublished text, saving the file yourself in your word processor keeps the document on your own computer.
📝 Summary
To convert a Word document to a TXT file, resolve review marks, save a plain text copy with UTF-8 encoding, and check the output in a plain text editor. Plain text keeps the words but drops formatting, tables and images, so keep the original .docx for anything that needs its layout.
