What happens when you convert HTML to ODT
- The page is read by pandoc, the open-source document converter, on our conversion server: headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, links, bold and italic, and written as an OpenDocument text file with LibreOffice's standard styles, so it can be restyled in one go.
- The converter reads nothing but the file itself, so images linked from it are left out; only images embedded in the file as data URIs are kept. CSS styling, scripts and forms are ignored.
- 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 HTML to ODT online
- Press "Choose HTML 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 ODT". 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 ODT with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your HTML and the ODT by then.
Why convert HTML to ODT?
HTML files usually come from web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser. People convert them to ODT because ODT is the native format of LibreOffice Writer and the open standard many public bodies require.
In short, HTML is good at what it was made for, and ODT is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. HTML opens in every web browser, while ODT opens in LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs and Word.
How to convert HTML to ODT on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your HTML files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each ODT is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the HTML files from Finder onto the drop zone and the ODT files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose HTML files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted ODT appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose HTML files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The ODT is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for HTML to ODT
There are no settings: pandoc's defaults give a clean, standard result that is easy to restyle.
To change the look, restyle the headings and body text in your word processor; because the ODT uses real styles, one change updates the whole document.
HTML vs ODT: the differences
| HTML | ODT | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | HyperText Markup Language | OpenDocument text |
| Type | document | word-processing document |
| Created by | Tim Berners-Lee | OASIS |
| First released | 1993 | 2005 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | text with tags for headings, lists, links, tables and images | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files |
| In a browser | opens in every web browser | opens in LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs and Word |
| Common uses | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser | LibreOffice users and public-sector documents |
| MIME type | text/html | application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text |
About HTML and ODT files
What is an HTML file?
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.
What is an ODT file?
ODT is the open standard word-processing format and the default in LibreOffice Writer. Several governments require it for documents they publish.
HTML to ODT 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.
- "This file is not really in HTML format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .html is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert HTML to ODT from the command line
pandoc does the same on your own computer:
pandoc input.html -o output.odtConverting 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.
HTML to ODT converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting HTML to ODT?
The text and its structure are kept exactly. Layout and styling from the HTML are not, because pandoc converts the document's structure rather than its look.
Why is the ODT a different size from the HTML?
Larger than the HTML, because ODT wraps the text in styles and settings inside a compressed package, even when the text is short.
Are my HTML files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful HTML to ODT conversion needs pandoc, the open-source document converter, 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 ODT as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several HTML files to ODT 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 ODT file?
ODT opens in LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs and Word. ODT is common for LibreOffice users and public-sector documents.
Is this HTML to ODT 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 HTML to ODT 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 ODT is saved to your Downloads folder.