---

name: docx description: Read, analyze, and create Word documents (.docx). Use this skill when working with Word documents, extracting text content, or creating formatted documents.

Word Document Handling

This skill enables reading, analyzing, and creating Word documents using the python-docx library.

Reading Documents

Extract All Text

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document("file.docx")

# Get all paragraphs
text = []
for para in doc.paragraphs:
    text.append(para.text)

full_text = "\n".join(text)
print(full_text)

Extract with Structure

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document("file.docx")

# Process paragraphs with styles
for para in doc.paragraphs:
    style = para.style.name
    text = para.text

    if style.startswith("Heading"):
        print(f"\n## {text}")
    elif text.strip():
        print(text)

Extract Tables

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document("file.docx")

for table in doc.tables:
    for row in table.rows:
        row_data = [cell.text for cell in row.cells]
        print(row_data)

Extract to Markdown

Copyfrom docx import Document

def docx_to_markdown(filepath):
    doc = Document(filepath)
    md_lines = []

    for para in doc.paragraphs:
        style = para.style.name
        text = para.text.strip()

        if not text:
            continue

        if style == "Heading 1":
            md_lines.append(f"# {text}")
        elif style == "Heading 2":
            md_lines.append(f"## {text}")
        elif style == "Heading 3":
            md_lines.append(f"### {text}")
        elif style == "List Bullet":
            md_lines.append(f"- {text}")
        elif style == "List Number":
            md_lines.append(f"1. {text}")
        else:
            md_lines.append(text)

        md_lines.append("")

    return "\n".join(md_lines)

Creating Documents

Basic Document

Copyfrom docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches, Pt
from docx.enum.text import WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH

doc = Document()

# Add title
title = doc.add_heading("Document Title", level=0)

# Add paragraph
doc.add_paragraph("This is the first paragraph.")

# Add formatted paragraph
para = doc.add_paragraph()
run = para.add_run("Bold text")
run.bold = True
para.add_run(" and ")
run = para.add_run("italic text")
run.italic = True

# Save
doc.save("output.docx")

Add Headings

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document()

doc.add_heading("Main Title", level=0)
doc.add_heading("Section 1", level=1)
doc.add_paragraph("Content under section 1.")
doc.add_heading("Subsection 1.1", level=2)
doc.add_paragraph("Content under subsection.")

doc.save("output.docx")

Add Lists

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document()

# Bullet list
doc.add_paragraph("First item", style="List Bullet")
doc.add_paragraph("Second item", style="List Bullet")
doc.add_paragraph("Third item", style="List Bullet")

# Numbered list
doc.add_paragraph("Step one", style="List Number")
doc.add_paragraph("Step two", style="List Number")
doc.add_paragraph("Step three", style="List Number")

doc.save("output.docx")

Add Tables

Copyfrom docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches

doc = Document()

# Create table
table = doc.add_table(rows=1, cols=3)
table.style = "Table Grid"

# Header row
header_cells = table.rows[0].cells
header_cells[0].text = "Name"
header_cells[1].text = "Department"
header_cells[2].text = "Salary"

# Data rows
data = [
    ("Alice", "Engineering", "$85,000"),
    ("Bob", "Marketing", "$72,000"),
    ("Carol", "Sales", "$68,000"),
]

for name, dept, salary in data:
    row_cells = table.add_row().cells
    row_cells[0].text = name
    row_cells[1].text = dept
    row_cells[2].text = salary

doc.save("output.docx")

Text Formatting

Font Styling

Copyfrom docx import Document
from docx.shared import Pt, RGBColor

doc = Document()
para = doc.add_paragraph()

# Bold
run = para.add_run("Bold ")
run.bold = True

# Italic
run = para.add_run("Italic ")
run.italic = True

# Underline
run = para.add_run("Underline ")
run.underline = True

# Font size
run = para.add_run("Large text ")
run.font.size = Pt(16)

# Font color
run = para.add_run("Red text")
run.font.color.rgb = RGBColor(255, 0, 0)

doc.save("output.docx")

Paragraph Formatting

Copyfrom docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches, Pt
from docx.enum.text import WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH

doc = Document()

# Centered paragraph
para = doc.add_paragraph("Centered text")
para.alignment = WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH.CENTER

# Right-aligned
para = doc.add_paragraph("Right-aligned text")
para.alignment = WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH.RIGHT

# Indented
para = doc.add_paragraph("Indented paragraph")
para.paragraph_format.left_indent = Inches(0.5)

# Line spacing
para = doc.add_paragraph("Double-spaced paragraph")
para.paragraph_format.line_spacing = 2.0

doc.save("output.docx")

Working with Templates

Open and Modify Template

Copyfrom docx import Document

# Open template
doc = Document("template.docx")

# Find and replace text
for para in doc.paragraphs:
    if "{{NAME}}" in para.text:
        para.text = para.text.replace("{{NAME}}", "John Smith")
    if "{{DATE}}" in para.text:
        para.text = para.text.replace("{{DATE}}", "January 15, 2025")

# Save as new file
doc.save("filled_document.docx")

Replace in Tables

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document("template.docx")

for table in doc.tables:
    for row in table.rows:
        for cell in row.cells:
            if "{{PLACEHOLDER}}" in cell.text:
                cell.text = cell.text.replace("{{PLACEHOLDER}}", "Value")

doc.save("output.docx")

Document Properties

Read Properties

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document("file.docx")
props = doc.core_properties

print(f"Title: {props.title}")
print(f"Author: {props.author}")
print(f"Created: {props.created}")
print(f"Modified: {props.modified}")

Set Properties

Copyfrom docx import Document
from datetime import datetime

doc = Document()
props = doc.core_properties

props.title = "My Document"
props.author = "Data Transformer"
props.created = datetime.now()

doc.save("output.docx")

Advanced Features

Add Page Break

Copyfrom docx import Document
from docx.enum.text import WD_BREAK

doc = Document()
doc.add_paragraph("Page 1 content")

# Add page break
doc.add_paragraph().add_run().add_break(WD_BREAK.PAGE)

doc.add_paragraph("Page 2 content")
doc.save("output.docx")

Add Images

Copyfrom docx import Document
from docx.shared import Inches

doc = Document()
doc.add_paragraph("Here is an image:")
doc.add_picture("image.png", width=Inches(4))
doc.save("output.docx")

Sections and Headers

Copyfrom docx import Document

doc = Document()

# Add content to first section
doc.add_paragraph("First section content")

# Add header
section = doc.sections[0]
header = section.header
header.paragraphs[0].text = "Document Header"

# Add footer
footer = section.footer
footer.paragraphs[0].text = "Page Footer"

doc.save("output.docx")

Important Notes

• python-docx reads/writes .docx format only (not .doc)
• Styles must exist in the document or template
• Complex formatting may require working with XML directly
• For tracked changes, use specialized libraries
• Preserve existing formatting when modifying templates