How to Convert an XML File to a Word Document: Complete Guide

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Convert XML files to a Word doc for easy editing and sharing
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Beginning in 2010, Word no longer supports custom XML fields—you can still open and convert XML in Word, but custom fields will be removed. Fortunately, you there are other ways to convert XML to Word, and you can even add custom XML fields to a document manually if you're making a Word template. Read on to learn simple ways to convert XML to Word on any PC or Mac computer.

Easy Ways to Convert XML to Word

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Converting in Microsoft Word

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  1. Microsoft Word versions released in 2010 and later (including Word 365) cannot read custom XML markup. [1] This method will only work if the XML you want to convert contains no custom ML elements, and you want to save the remaining XML as a Word document.
  2. You will see the File menu in the upper-left corner.
    • You can also open the XML file by double-clicking its name in any folder on your computer.
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  3. Navigate to the file, then double-click to open it, or click the Open button.
    • If you see a message that says "The file has custom XML elements that are no longer supported in Word," you can click OK on the message to continue, but you will lose any unsupported tags.
  4. It’s near the top-left corner.
  5. If you don't see this option, choose Save as copy instead. [2]
  6. This opens a file browser window.
  7. This ensures that the XML document will convert to the Word file format.
  8. The XML file has now been converted to a Word document.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Pasting as Text Into Word

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  1. An easy way to convert XML to Word is to simply paste the contents of the XML file into a blank Word document. You can use any text editor, such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac), to open the XML file.
    • An easy way to open the file: Right-click or control-click the XML file, select Open with , and choose either Notepad or TextEdit .
  2. To do this:
    • Click anywhere in the file
    • Select all text by pressing Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac).
    • Copy the selection by pressing Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac).
  3. If Word is already open, click the File menu, select New , then choose Blank document . If not, just launch Word and select Blank document .
  4. Click your mouse in the blank document, then press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Cmd + V (Mac) to paste it. You will then see the contents of the XML file.
  5. Alternatively, if Word is automatically backing up to OneDrive , select Save as copy instead.
  6. This opens a file browser window.
  7. This ensures that the XML document will convert to the Word file format.
  8. The XML file has now been converted to a Word document.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Mapping XML Fields in a Word Doc

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  1. If you need to insert XML into a Word document to create a template, you can do so easily as long as you have the XML schema files. If you don't already see the Developer tab in Word, here's how to enable it:
    • Windows
      • Click the File menu and select Options .
      • Check the "Developer" box under "Customize the Ribbon."
    • Mac
      • Click the Word menu and select Preferences or Settings .
      • Click Ribbon and Toolbar .
      • Click Customize the Ribbon .
      • Click Main Tabs .
      • Check the "Developer" box and click Save . [3]
  2. This opens the "Templates and Add-ins" window.
  3. Any attached XML schemas will appear.
  4. This opens your file picker.
  5. This adds the schema.
    • If the box isn't checked by default, check the box now. [4]
    • Click OK when you're finished.
  6. This adds the XML mapping pane to the right side of Word, where you can now insert labels, fields, and other data.
  7. Your enabled schemas appear in the list. When you make your selection, you'll see a list of fields.
    • If you have any additional schema files you want to use, click the drop-down menu, select Add new part… , and select the XML or XSD file that contains the fields you need.
  8. To do this, just control-click or right-click a field, select Insert Content Control , and then choose how you want to add the field (e.g., Plain Text , Checkbox , etc.). Continue until you've added all the necessary fields from your XML into the Word document.
  9. If your goal is to create a template others can use, you can save the document as a template file.
    • Windows
      • Click the File menu and select Save as (or Save as copy ).
      • Double-click This PC .
      • Type a name for the template.
      • Select Word Template as the file type. Or, if there are macros in the document, select Word Macro-Enabled Document .
      • Click Save .
    • Mac
      • Click the File menu and select Save as Template .
      • Select Microsoft Word template (.dotx) as the file type, or Microsoft Word Macro-Enabled template (.dotm) if the file contains macros.
      • Click Save . [5]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Converting in Google Drive

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  1. If you want to convert the XML into the Word .DOCX format, one workaround is first to create a PDF of the XML in your web browser, open the PDF in Word, and then convert that to the Word format.
    • For example, open Chrome or Edge, then drag the XML document into the active window. This will open a new tab containing the contents of your XML file.
    • In our testing, Microsoft Word struggled to convert the PDF to text. Google Docs worked great, so we recommend using it.
  2. This opens the Print window.
  3. If you're using Windows, select Microsoft Print to PDF as your printer. On a Mac, click the PDF button, or click the down-arrow on the PDF menu and select Save as PDF . [6]
  4. To do this, you'll "print" the file using these steps:
    • On Windows, click the Print button to open the "Save Print Output As" window. Select a location to save the file to, name the file, and then click Save .
    • On a Mac, enter a name for your file, select a location to save it to, and save the file.
  5. Here's how:
    • Go to https://drive.google.com and log in with your Google account.
    • Click + New and select File upload .
    • Select your PDF and click Open .
    • Once uploaded, the file will be listed in Google Drive.
  6. To do this:
    • Double-click the PDF file in your Google Drive.
    • Click the Open with menu at the top.
    • Select Google Docs . After a few moments, you will see the contents of the XML file.
  7. Now, all you'll need to do is download the file in the DOCX format:
    • Click the File menu and select Download .
    • Choose Microsoft Word (*.docx) .
    • Name the file and click Save .
    • Once downloaded, you can open the file in Microsoft Word.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Converting Online

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  1. If you just want to quickly convert an XML file into a Word document, you can use a free online converter. We advise against this if your XML file contains sensitive information, as there's no way to ensure your data is safe once uploaded. However, for a quick conversion, these tools can be super helpful. The best we've found is Vertopal , which will convert a document-structured XML file into a Word document. [7] You can also search the web for "xml to docx converter" to find alternatives.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/word/custom-xml-elements-not-supported
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-a-document-b7f55d8c-d714-4892-8fde-853a82419027
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/show-the-developer-tab-in-word-e356706f-1891-4bb8-8d72-f57a51146792
      4. ↑ https://projects.goamps.com/proliance/help/content/XML_Layout/How_to_Attach_an_XML_Schema_to_a_Word_Document.htm
      5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-template-86a1d089-5ae2-4d53-9042-1191bce57deb#OfficeVersion=macOS
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/save-a-document-as-a-pdf-on-mac-mchlp1531/mac
      7. ↑ https://www.vertopal.com/en/convert/xml-to-docx

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Word .
      2. Open the XML file.
      3. Click File .
      4. Click Save As .
      5. Click Browse .
      6. Select Word Document from the “Save as type” drop-down.
      7. Click Save .

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