What happens when you convert DOT to RTF
- The DOT is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and saved as Rich Text Format.
- Text, fonts, bold and italic, colours, lists, tables and images carry over. RTF has no room for newer features such as threaded comments, content controls or some chart types, so those may be simplified.
- RTF opens in almost every word processor ever made, including WordPad, TextEdit, Word, Pages and LibreOffice.
- A template opens as a new document based on it, so the result shows the template's own text, styles and page layout.
- 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 DOT to RTF online
- Press "Choose DOT 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 RTF". 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 RTF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your DOT and the RTF by then.
Why convert DOT to RTF?
DOT files usually come from letterheads, forms and company templates from older versions of Word. People convert them to RTF because RTF opens in almost every word processor, including WordPad and TextEdit.
In short, DOT is good at what it was made for, and RTF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. DOT opens in Word, where it starts a new document based on it, and in LibreOffice Writer, while RTF opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice.
How to convert DOT to RTF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your DOT files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each RTF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the DOT files from Finder onto the drop zone and the RTF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose DOT files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted RTF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose DOT files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The RTF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for DOT to RTF
There are no settings: the RTF keeps as much formatting as the format allows.
Check tables and images after converting; they are where RTF differs most from newer formats.
DOT vs RTF: the differences
| DOT | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Word 97 to 2003 template | Rich Text Format |
| Type | word-processing document | word-processing document |
| Created by | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| First released | 1997 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | styles, page setup, boilerplate text and sometimes macros, in the binary Word format | text with fonts, bold, italic and simple tables, written as readable control words |
| In a browser | opens in Word, where it starts a new document based on it, and in LibreOffice Writer | opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice |
| Common uses | letterheads, forms and company templates from older versions of Word | documents exchanged between different word processors |
| MIME type | application/msword | application/rtf |
About DOT and RTF files
What is a DOT file?
A DOT file is a template: opening it in Word starts a new, untitled document with its styles, text and layout, and leaves the template itself untouched. Normal.dot held the defaults for every new document until Word 2007.
What is an RTF file?
RTF describes formatting with plain-text control words such as \b for bold, so almost every word processor since the late 1980s can read it. It cannot reliably hold newer features such as threaded comments or complex page layouts.
DOT to RTF 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 DOT to RTF from the command line
LibreOffice does the same on your own computer, without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to rtf input.dotConverting 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.
DOT to RTF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting DOT to RTF?
The content is kept. RTF is older than the DOT, so complex layouts and newer features may be simplified.
Why is the RTF a different size from the DOT?
Usually larger than the DOT: RTF is uncompressed text, and pictures are written out as long runs of hexadecimal digits.
Are my DOT files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful DOT to RTF 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 RTF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several DOT files to RTF 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 an RTF file?
RTF opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice. RTF is common for documents exchanged between different word processors.
Is this DOT to RTF 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 DOT to RTF 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 RTF is saved to your Downloads folder.