What happens when you convert HTML to RTF
- 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 Rich Text Format, which opens in WordPad, TextEdit, Word and every other word processor.
- 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 RTF 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 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 HTML and the RTF by then.
Why convert HTML to RTF?
HTML files usually come from web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser. People convert them to RTF because RTF opens in almost every word processor, including WordPad and TextEdit.
In short, HTML 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. HTML opens in every web browser, while RTF opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice.
How to convert HTML to RTF 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 RTF 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 RTF 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 RTF 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 RTF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for HTML to RTF
There are no settings: pandoc's defaults give a clean, standard result that is easy to restyle.
If something is missing, check whether it depended on a file outside the HTML; the converter reads the file alone.
HTML vs RTF: the differences
| HTML | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | HyperText Markup Language | Rich Text Format |
| Type | document | word-processing document |
| Created by | Tim Berners-Lee | Microsoft |
| First released | 1993 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | text with tags for headings, lists, links, tables and images | text with fonts, bold, italic and simple tables, written as readable control words |
| In a browser | opens in every web browser | opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice |
| Common uses | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser | documents exchanged between different word processors |
| MIME type | text/html | application/rtf |
About HTML and RTF 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 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.
HTML 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.
- "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 RTF from the command line
pandoc does the same on your own computer:
pandoc input.html -o output.rtfConverting 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 RTF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting HTML to RTF?
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 RTF a different size from the HTML?
Larger than the HTML, because RTF wraps the text in styles and settings, even when the text is short.
Are my HTML files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful HTML to RTF 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 RTF 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 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 HTML 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 HTML 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.