We have updated the default PDF-to-HTML conversion engine to a new version that is faster and should produce better results. However, our PRO users can still use the old version if necessary (just go to the Preferences page and select the ‘Legacy PDF Conversion’ option in the Other section).
For better clarity for non-technical users, we have renamed ‘Fixed HTML’ to ‘Preserve layout’.
Also, the PDF to HTML page now has a layout scale (a zoom factor) that can be used to zoom in or out of HTML using the ‘preserve layout’ option. We have also updated the HTML code generated when converting PDFs. The HTML now fits mobile device screens better, but you can control the default zoom level when displaying this HTML in desktop browsers.
Quick answer: The fastest way to convert Word to HTML with clean code is to use a dedicated converter rather than Word’s built-in “Save as Web Page” feature, which produces bloated, non-standard markup. For one-off conversions, paste your text into WordToHTML.net‘s Visual Editor for instantly clean HTML. For bulk conversions on Windows, use DocConverter.pro desktop. For automated conversions in your own app, use the DocConverter.pro API.
In this guide, we will explore all the various ways for you to convert Word documents to HTML. We are experts in converting Microsoft Word, PDF, and other documents to HTML and various other formats, with over 20 years of experience. We have several tools to help you convert and process your documents to clean HTML:
Word To HTML – our web app is great for quick conversions and clean-ups (paste content and process), uploading documents, and converting them to HTML, batch conversion is possible as well – Business plans can upload & convert up to 50 documents in one go
Doc Converter Pro Web App – the best choice if you need to bulk convert and process documents online
Doc Converter Pro API – for programmers looking to add document conversion to their Apps
Using MS Word’s built-in Save as HTML option
If you have MS Word installed, you can use the built-in Save to HTML option. All you need to do is:
Go to the file menu
Select Save as
In the drop-down file type box, select Web Page, Filtered
Click Save
Easy eh? Not so fast, there are two significant issues with using Word to save your HTML: the file sizes are large, and the quality of the HTML is not very good.
Large file sizes when using MS Word to convert documents to HTML
If you create a simple test document like the one shown below, then save it to HTML, you will see that the resulting web page has more than 100 lines of code.
If we use the Upload file and convert the same file with one of our tools like Word To HTML, you will get around 40 lines of code when full page mode is enabled, which is less than half of the size of the Word version. If you copy and paste content from an MS Word document into Visual Editor, you will get even 19 lines of code, which is less than one-fourth of the size of the Word version. You can try this experiment yourself or view our test files:
This example is for a simple document, for complex files, the file size difference can be even larger.
Why does it matter if my HTML code is large?
Apart from practical issues like server space, web pages with lots of code take longer to download. Google penalises sites with slow download times, and more importantly, users are impatient. According to research, nearly half of web users expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less, and they tend to abandon a site that has not loaded within 3 seconds. In the modern internet, speed is the most important factor.
Word generates messy non-standard HTML when converting from Word to HTML
The other big issue with using Word is that it creates overly complex non-standard HTML. Now, to be fair to Microsoft, we imagine that the main reason they do this is to try to keep the layout of your files as similar as possible, but it does create issues. In our example file, if we look at how Word handles the list items, this is the code it generates:
<p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style=’text-indent:-18.0pt’><span
style=’font-family:Symbol’>�<span style=’font:7.0pt “Times New Roman”‘>
</span></span>Apples</p>
A lot of code just to display the word apple on a list. You will also notice that Word does not use the standard HTML Li and ul list tags. It uses CSS to format the lists, if you strip out this CSS, the list becomes normal text. In comparison, this is the code generated with WordToHTML.net when you upload a document and convert it.
If you just paste content from the MS Word test file into Visual Editor and choose to keep formatting, you will be left with this very clean code:
<li>Apples</li>
So you can see if you want the cleanest HTML possible, you need to use a proper tool to convert your Word files to HTML.
Word to HTML Conversion Methods Compared
Method
Output Quality
File Size
Best For
Batch Conversion
Cost
MS Word “Save as Web Page, Filtered”
Poor – bloated, non-standard markup, no semantic list tags
Large (~100+ lines for a simple doc)
Quick local export, no internet needed
No
Free (if you own Word)
WordToHTML.net – Paste into Visual Editor
Excellent – cleanest possible HTML, proper semantic tags
Smallest (~19 lines for the same doc)
Single documents, quick text cleanup
No
Free
WordToHTML.net – Upload & Convert
Very good – clean, standards-based HTML
Small (~40 lines for the same doc)
Converting full DOCX/PDF files online
Yes – up to 50 docs/batch (Business plan)
Free / Paid (Pro)
DocConverter.pro Desktop
Very good – clean HTML with custom templates
Small
Bulk converting hundreds of files; private/offline files
Yes – unlimited, local processing
Paid (free trial)
DocConverter.pro Web App
Very good – clean HTML with custom templates
Small
Bulk converting from any browser/device, team use
Yes – limited by plan
Paid (free trial)
DocConverter.pro API
Very good – programmatic, consistent output
Small
Developers automating conversion in their own apps
Yes – limited by plan, automated
Paid (free trial)
What is the best way to convert Word to HTML?
Here are our recommendations based on your various needs.
I want an online tool that will quickly convert my text or documents to clean HTML:
Our online Word To HTML web app lets you paste your text into the Visual Editor, and your text gets converted to HTML instantly. It is super easy to use and free for basic features.
For users who need more, our Word To HTML Pro version gives you the ability to upload Word (DOCX/DOC), PDF, and other file types and have them converted to HTML. You convert HTML documents back to other formats too (HTML to DOCX or PDF, etc). You can also save your files, create HTML conversion/processing templates, and have more cleanup features. You can try the Pro version demo for free.
I need a Windows application to convert lots of Word or PDF files to HTML:
We have a Windows desktop product called Doc Converter Pro. It is an easy way for you to convert your Word, PDF, and other file formats to HTML and other formats as well. You can convert one file or batch-convert hundreds of files in one go. You can also create custom conversion templates to give you full control over your conversions.
The advantage of a desktop application is that it will be faster if you are converting lots of files, and it is also a good option if your files are private, as nothing will leave your system.
I need an online web app to batch-convert my Word documents to HTML or other formats:
Our web app version of Doc Converter Pro Online gives you all the great features of our desktop version, but as it is web-based, you can work from any computer and any browser. You can also share accounts with your team.
How does Doc Converter Pro Web App differ from WordToHTML.net? Doc Converter Pro is designed for batch converting lots of documents, whereas WordToHTML.net is better for cleaning up pasted text or converting single documents.
I am a programmer who needs an API solution to convert our Word files to HTML:
No problem. We have a Web API version of Doc Converter Pro Online. With a few lines of code, we take all the hard work out of converting your documents. Try our free trial here…
In summary, here is our advice.
What is the best online Word or PDF to HTML converter?
We recommend using WordToHTML.net as it’s the easiest website that offers free conversions, but if you get a paid plan, you’ll have access to a lot more features.
Which Windows desktop application is best for converting lots of Word or PDF documents?
We recommend trying DocumentConverter.pro, as it allows you to quickly convert an unlimited number of documents on your computer.
What is the best Windows desktop application for converting my private Word or PDF documents?
Again, we recommend using DocumentConverter.pro, as it allows you to convert documents on your computer without any privacy or security issues, as everything happens locally on your PC.
We are here to help…
If you need more advice, feel free to contact us anytime. We can advise you on the best strategy for your needs.
1) Business or Enterprise plan team members can share their email designs with other team members.
2) You can see HTML code differences after template processing. To see the page with differences, click the icon button with arrows after running Cleanup HTML:
We are introducing our new AI Conversion Template feature, simply describe what you want – like “remove all formatting” or “strip certain tags”—and our AI will instantly generate custom JavaScript processing code for you.
You can choose to pre-process HTML before cleanup or post-process it afterward, then edit and fine-tune the generated code right in the code editor.
Also, we decided to add an extra Embed Images option above the Visual Editor. Till today Embed Option was only shown in the Upload & convert document section, which could be a bit hidden option, but now you can access it here as well:
If you’re signed in and you click this option, it will switch on and off that option in the Upload & convert section too.
Another minor change is that code length will now automatically be converted to KB (Kilo Bytes), MB (Mega Bytes), etc. It should be easier to know if your HTML code length is getting too big.
Also, WordToHTML.net will change the color of the code length to orange, then red if your HTML gets very big:
One last change is the way we store edited HTML content in the browser. Currently, the browser will remember even a very big HTML file. Previously, the browser could remember up to 5MB of HTML content, and you could lose it on the editor’s page refresh.
We’re excited to announce two powerful new additions to our suite of free online tools at WordToHTML.net, designed to streamline your web development workflow!
Joining our popular Word to HTML converter, we now offer:
Free Online HTML Prettifier & Formatter: Tired of messy, unreadable code? Paste your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and our new Prettifier will instantly indent and structure it for improved readability, easier debugging, and better team collaboration. Clean code is happy code!
Free Online HTML Minifier: Boost your website’s performance! Our HTML Minifier compresses your HTML, inline CSS, and JavaScript by removing unnecessary characters, comments, and whitespace. This reduces file sizes, leading to faster page load times and better SEO. See the size reduction and percentage saved right on the page!
Both tools are incredibly easy to use: simply paste your code, load a file, or use the handy “auto-action” checkbox for instant processing and copying.
We’re announcing a new addition to our Email Designer tool: exclusive predefined templates for our PRO users!
Crafting professional and visually stunning email signatures is now easier than ever. Our new templates are designed to save you time while ensuring a polished, professional email look.
Upgrade to PRO today and explore these beautifully crafted templates that elevate your email communication!
How do you access new templates?
Click the ‘Start from scratch’ button.
Then click the section named ‘Start from predefined template’
Email template selection:
Get started now and take your email design to the next level!
