How to Format a Word Document Into a Text Only File

Converting a Word document to a text-only file is simple.

By default, Microsoft Word saves documents in Word format, which not only contains the text but other information such as font type and size. This format is not readable by all programs. To ensure readability in other applications you can save a Word file in text-only format. The only information saved in text-only format is the text itself. Converting a Word document to a text-only file is as easy as saving a document.

Instructions

1. Open Microsoft Word. Go to "File" > "Open" and select the document to be reformatted. Hit "OK."

2. Go to "File" > "Save As." The "Save As" dialog box will appear.

3. Rename the file in the "File Name" bar. This can be as simple as adding a number to the end of the original filename or by completely changing the name. Giving the new file a different name will help prevent confusion later.

4. Click the arrow on the "Save as Type" drop-down box. Select "Text File (*.txt, *.csv)" and hit the "Save" button. The Word file has been converted to a text-only format.

References

• Xavier University of Louisiana: About Text-Only Files