DOT is Microsoft Word's legacy template format (Word 97-2003) that stores boilerplate content, styles, macros, and page settings in the OLE2 binary format. DOCX is the modern Word document format based on Open XML (ECMA-376) that uses ZIP-compressed XML files for efficient storage and broad compatibility. Converting DOT to DOCX modernizes legacy templates into the current standard document format.

This conversion is the recommended upgrade path for organizations migrating away from legacy Office formats. DOCX files are smaller, more compatible with cloud services, and better supported by modern applications than the DOT/DOC binary formats they replace.

DOCX is the dominant document format in modern office environments. Microsoft 365, Google Docs, Apple Pages, and LibreOffice all handle DOCX natively, while DOT support is limited and often buggy. Converting legacy DOT templates to DOCX ensures the content remains fully accessible in current software.

Cloud collaboration platforms — SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Workspace — work seamlessly with DOCX but may have limited or no support for DOT files. Migrating DOT templates to DOCX enables these documents to participate in modern collaborative editing, version control, and document management workflows.

LibreOffice reads the DOT file's OLE2 binary structure, parsing the binary streams that contain document content, formatting, style definitions, and template properties. The content is exported as a DOCX file using the OOXML (ECMA-376) writer, mapping binary style records to XML style definitions, binary paragraph properties to Open XML paragraph elements, and OLE embedded objects to Open XML package parts. Images are re-encoded into the DOCX media directory. The template flag is cleared, producing a standard document.

Yes. Paragraph and character styles defined in the DOT template are converted to DOCX style definitions and remain available in the document.

Typically yes. DOCX uses ZIP compression while DOT uses uncompressed OLE2 storage. File size reductions of 50-75% are common for text-heavy documents.

No. DOCX cannot contain macros. If you need to preserve VBA macros, convert to DOCM (macro-enabled) format instead.

Yes. Save the DOCX as a DOTX (Word Open XML Template) in Word to create a modern template from the converted content.

Yes. LibreOffice supports DOT files from Word 97 through Word 2003. Very old DOT files (Word 6.0/95) may have reduced compatibility.

Device	DOT	DOCX
Windows PC	Partial	Partial
macOS	Partial	Partial
iPhone/iPad	Partial	Partial
Android	Partial	Partial
Linux	Partial	Partial
Web Browser	No	No

Feature	DOT	DOCX
Full Name	Word Template	Microsoft Word Document
Extension	.dot	.docx
Best For	Word template	Editable

Convert DOT to DOCX — Free Online Converter

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