Convert DOTX to RTF — Free Online Converter
Convert Word Open XML Template (.dotx) to Rich Text Format (.rtf) online for free. Fast, secure document conversion with no watermarks or registration...
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How to Convert
Upload your .dotx file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .rtf file when it's ready.
About DOTX to RTF Conversion
DOTX is Microsoft Word's Open XML template format storing document content and styles in a ZIP-compressed XML package. RTF (Rich Text Format) is a text-based document interchange format that encodes formatting as readable control words, compatible with virtually every word processor across every platform and era of computing.
Converting DOTX to RTF extracts the template content into the most universally compatible rich text format available. RTF's text-based nature makes it safe (no executable code), portable (every word processor reads it), and reliable for document interchange across diverse software environments.
Why Convert DOTX to RTF?
RTF provides the widest compatibility of any formatted document format. While DOTX requires Office 2007 or later (or a compatible reader), RTF files open in applications dating back to the 1990s. For maximum audience reach, especially when recipients' software capabilities are unknown, RTF is the safest choice for rich text content.
RTF is also the preferred format in several specialized domains. Legal document management systems, publishing platforms, and some academic submission portals specifically request or prefer RTF. Converting DOTX templates to RTF meets these requirements while preserving essential formatting.
Common Use Cases
- Share template content with the widest possible audience regardless of their word processing software
- Submit document content to legal or academic systems that require RTF format
- Convert template content for import into publishing or content management platforms that accept RTF
- Produce a security-safe formatted document from a template with no executable code risk
- Distribute template content to environments with older or lightweight word processing software
How It Works
LibreOffice imports the DOTX package, parsing Open XML content, styles, and formatting definitions. The document content is exported through the RTF writer, mapping XML-defined paragraph styles to RTF control words, character formatting to RTF character properties, and table structures to RTF table groups. Embedded images are converted to hexadecimal-encoded data within the RTF stream. The output follows RTF 1.9.1 specification.
Quality & Performance
Standard formatting transfers accurately to RTF. Text, fonts, sizes, colors, paragraphs, lists, tables, and images are preserved. Advanced Open XML features — SmartArt, theme effects, content controls, charts — may simplify or be flattened in RTF since it has a narrower formatting vocabulary. Page layout settings (margins, page size, orientation) transfer correctly. For typical business documents, the conversion produces a clean formatted result.
Device Compatibility
| Device | DOTX | RTF |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| macOS | Partial | Partial |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Partial |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No | No |
Tips for Best Results
- 1Choose RTF when you need the broadest possible compatibility, especially with older software
- 2For modern environments, DOCX is generally the better choice over RTF due to richer formatting support
- 3RTF is ideal for legal and academic document submissions where the format is specifically requested
- 4Review SmartArt and chart areas after conversion since these features simplify in RTF
- 5RTF files are safe to email in environments that filter out binary Office formats
DOTX-to-RTF conversion produces the most universally compatible rich text representation of Word template content, suitable for cross-platform distribution and specialized submission requirements.