What happens when you convert DOCM to DOCX
- The DOCM is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and saved as a DOCX file.
- Text, formatting, styles, images, tables, headers and footers carry over. Complex layouts and some advanced features may shift or be simplified, so check the result before sending it on.
- Macros are never run. DOCX cannot hold VBA macros, so they are left out; everything else converts normally.
- Password-protected files cannot be converted, because they cannot be opened without the password.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert DOCM to DOCX online
- Press "Choose DOCM files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to DOCX". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each DOCX with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your DOCM and the DOCX by then.
Why convert DOCM to DOCX?
DOCM files usually come from Word documents that automate forms and reports with macros. People convert them to DOCX because DOCX opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice and keeps the document editable.
In short, DOCM is good at what it was made for, and DOCX is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. DOCM opens in Word, which asks before running its macros; LibreOffice and Google Docs open the text, while DOCX opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice Writer.
How to convert DOCM to DOCX on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your DOCM files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each DOCX is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the DOCM files from Finder onto the drop zone and the DOCX files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose DOCM files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted DOCX appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose DOCM files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The DOCX is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for DOCM to DOCX
There are no settings to choose: the DOCM is opened and saved as a DOCX file, keeping as much of its formatting as the format allows.
Check the converted file before deleting the DOCM. Simple files convert exactly; unusual fonts, complex layouts and advanced features are where differences appear.
DOCM vs DOCX: the differences
| DOCM | DOCX | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Word macro-enabled document | Word document |
| Type | word-processing document | document |
| Created by | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| First released | 2007 | 2007 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | formatted text, images and tables plus VBA macros, in a ZIP of XML files | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files |
| In a browser | opens in Word, which asks before running its macros; LibreOffice and Google Docs open the text | opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice Writer |
| Common uses | Word documents that automate forms and reports with macros | letters, reports, CVs and most documents shared at work |
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12 | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
About DOCM and DOCX files
What is a DOCM file?
A DOCM is a DOCX that is allowed to carry VBA macros. Word gives it its own extension so a document that can run code is easy to spot, and many email systems block DOCM attachments for that reason.
What is a DOCX file?
DOCX has been Word's default format since 2007. Like XLSX it is a ZIP archive of XML files, which is how its text can be read without Word.
DOCM to DOCX not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The file will not convert. It may be password protected, damaged, or saved in a newer or unusual version of the format.
Convert DOCM to DOCX from the command line
LibreOffice does the same on your own computer, without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to docx input.docmConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
DOCM to DOCX converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting DOCM to DOCX?
The content is kept. Office formats do not match feature for feature, so complex layouts or advanced features in the DOCM may shift slightly in the DOCX.
Why is the DOCX a different size from the DOCM?
The two formats store content differently. Images are carried over as they are.
Are my DOCM files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful DOCM to DOCX conversion needs LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the DOCX as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several DOCM files to DOCX at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a DOCX file?
DOCX opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice Writer. DOCX is common for letters, reports, CVs and most documents shared at work.
Is this DOCM to DOCX converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert DOCM to DOCX on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the DOCX is saved to your Downloads folder.