What is an HTML file?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It was created by Tim Berners-Lee and first released in 1993. HTML is the language of web pages. A converted document saved as HTML keeps its headings, lists, tables and links and opens in any browser.
HTM is the same format under another extension.
| Type | document |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | opens in every web browser |
| Common uses | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser |
| MIME type | text/html |
Which format should you convert HTML to?
- HTML to TXT to get just the words, for copying, searching or pasting elsewhere.
- HTML to MD for documentation, wikis and note apps.
- HTML to PDF for a fixed page to print or share.
How to open an HTML file
Whether an HTML file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | Word or the free LibreOffice opens DOCX; any browser opens HTML; Notepad opens TXT and MD. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Pages or TextEdit open DOCX; Safari opens HTML; TextEdit opens TXT and MD. Apple Books opens EPUB. |
| iPhone and iPad | Pages, Word and the Files app open DOCX; Apple Books opens EPUB. |
| Android | Google Docs and Word open DOCX; Google Play Books opens EPUB. |
| Web browser | HTML opens in every web browser. |
Want the technical details? See what a .html file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
HTML compared with other document formats
How HTML stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTML | Lossless | text with tags for headings, lists, links, tables and images | 1993 | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser |
| DOCX | Lossless | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files | 2007 | letters, reports, CVs and most documents shared at work |
| TXT | Lossless | characters only, with no formatting | 1963 | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere |
| MD | Lossless | plain text with simple symbols for headings, lists, links and emphasis | 2004 | documentation, README files, notes and blogging tools |
| EPUB | Lossless | chapters as XHTML pages, with images and a table of contents | 2007 | e-books from stores other than Amazon and free e-book libraries |
How to use the HTML converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your HTML files on the box, or press Choose HTML files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. Converting to DOCX, EPUB, JPG, ODT, PDF, PNG, RTF uses our server, which deletes the file right after; the rest never leave your device.
Tips for converting HTML files without losing anything
Converting an HTML file keeps the words exactly; what can change is formatting and layout, depending on what the target format can hold.
- Keep the original document; exporting to plain text or HTML drops layout that cannot be added back.
- Use HTML or Markdown when you want to keep headings, lists and links, and TXT when you only need the words.
- For scanned documents, OCR is the only way to get text; converting the file format alone will not find words in an image.
- Save text as UTF-8 so every language is preserved.
- Check headings after converting to HTML or Markdown; they come from the styles used in the original, so manual bold text stays plain text.
- Plain text has no pages, so page numbers and headers from the original document are dropped.
- For long documents, convert once and search the text output rather than scrolling the original.
- Markdown and HTML both keep links, so check that relative links still point somewhere once the document moves.
Convert HTML files from the command line
Pandoc converts between document formats on the command line:
pandoc input.html -o output.txtThe converter on this page does the same job in your browser, without installing anything.
HTML converter FAQ
What is an HTML file?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, a document format created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1993. HTML is the language of web pages. A converted document saved as HTML keeps its headings, lists, tables and links and opens in any browser.
How do I open an HTML file?
HTML opens in every web browser. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common HTML conversion?
HTML to TXT is the conversion people search for most. Tags, scripts and styles are removed and the readable text is kept, with line breaks between blocks.
Does converting HTML files here upload them?
Only for some conversions. Converting to DOCX, EPUB, JPG, ODT, PDF, PNG, RTF uses our conversion server, where the file is deleted as soon as the result is sent back; the other conversions run inside your browser and never leave your device.
Is the HTML converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert HTML files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your HTML files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several HTML files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.