
docx
Use this skill whenever the user wants to create, read, edit, or manipulate Word documents (.docx files). Triggers include: any mention of 'Word doc', 'word document', '.docx', or requests to produce professional documents with formatting like tables of contents, headings, page numbers, or letterheads. Also use when extracting or reorganizing content from .docx files, inserting or replacing images in documents, performing find-and-replace in Word files, working with tracked changes or comments, or converting content into a polished Word document. If the user asks for a 'report', 'memo', 'letter', 'template', or similar deliverable as a Word or .docx file, use this skill. Do NOT use for PDFs, spreadsheets, Google Docs, or general coding tasks unrelated to document generation.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill docx- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads docx automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
DOCX creation, editing, and analysis
Overview
A .docx file is a ZIP archive containing XML files.
Quick Reference
| Task | Approach |
|---|---|
| Read/analyze content | pandoc or unpack for raw XML |
| Create new document | Use docx-js - see Creating New Documents below |
| Edit existing document | Unpack → edit XML → repack - see Editing Existing Documents below |
Converting .doc to .docx
Legacy .doc files must be converted before editing:
python scripts/office/soffice.py --headless --convert-to docx document.doc
Reading Content
# Text extraction with tracked changes
pandoc --track-changes=all document.docx -o output.md
# Raw XML access
python scripts/office/unpack.py document.docx unpacked/
Converting to Images
python scripts/office/soffice.py --headless --convert-to pdf document.docx
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 document.pdf page
Accepting Tracked Changes
To produce a clean document with all tracked changes accepted (requires LibreOffice):
python scripts/accept_changes.py input.docx output.docx
Creating New Documents
Generate .docx files with JavaScript, then validate. Install: npm install -g docx
Setup
const { Document, Packer, Paragraph, TextRun, Table, TableRow, TableCell, ImageRun,
Header, Footer, AlignmentType, PageOrientation, LevelFormat, ExternalHyperlink,
InternalHyperlink, Bookmark, FootnoteReferenceRun, PositionalTab,
PositionalTabAlignment, PositionalTabRelativeTo, PositionalTabLeader,
TabStopType, TabStopPosition, Column, SectionType,
TableOfContents, HeadingLevel, BorderStyle, WidthType, ShadingType,
VerticalAlign, PageNumber, PageBreak } = require('docx');
const doc = new Document({ sections: [{ children: [/* content */] }] });
Packer.toBuffer(doc).then(buffer => fs.writeFileSync("doc.docx", buffer));
Validation
After creating the file, validate it. If validation fails, unpack, fix the XML, and repack.
python scripts/office/validate.py doc.docx
Page Size
// CRITICAL: docx-js defaults to A4, not US Letter
// Always set page size explicitly for consistent results
sections: [{
properties: {
page: {
size: {
width: 12240, // 8.5 inches in DXA
height: 15840 // 11 inches in DXA
},
margin: { top: 1440, right: 1440, bottom: 1440, left: 1440 } // 1 inch margins
}
},
children: [/* content */]
}]
Common page sizes (DXA units, 1440 DXA = 1 inch):
| Paper | Width | Height | Content Width (1" margins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 12,240 | 15,840 | 9,360 |
| A4 (default) | 11,906 | 16,838 | 9,026 |
Landscape orientation: docx-js swaps width/height internally, so pass portrait dimensions and let it handle the swap:
size: {
width: 12240, // Pass SHORT edge as width
height: 15840, // Pass LONG edge as height
orientation: PageOrientation.LANDSCAPE // docx-js swaps them in the XML
},
// Content width = 15840 - left margin - right margin (uses the long edge)
Styles (Override Built-in Headings)
Use Arial as the default font (universally supported). Keep titles black for readability.
const doc = new Document({
styles: {
default: { document: { run: { font: "Arial", size: 24 } } }, // 12pt default
paragraphStyles: [
// IMPORTANT: Use exact IDs to override built-in styles
{ id: "Heading1", name: "Heading 1", basedOn: "Normal", next: "Normal", quickFormat: true,
run: { size: 32, bold: true, font: "Arial" },
paragraph: { spacing: { before: 240, after: 240 }, outlineLevel: 0 } }, // outlineLevel required for TOC
{ id: "Heading2", name: "Heading 2", basedOn: "Normal", next: "Normal", quickFormat: true,
run: { size: 28, bold: true, font: "Arial" },
paragraph: { spacing: { before: 180, after: 180 }, outlineLevel: 1 } },
]
},
sections: [{
children: [
new Paragraph({ heading: HeadingLevel.HEADING_1, children: [new TextRun("Title")] }),
]
}]
});
Lists (NEVER use unicode bullets)
// ❌ WRONG - never manually insert bullet characters
new Paragraph({ children: [new TextRun("• Item")] }) // BAD
new Paragraph({ children: [new TextRun("\u2022 Item")] }) // BAD
// ✅ CORRECT - use numbering config with LevelFormat.BULLET
const doc = new Document({
numbering: {
config: [
{ reference: "bullets",
levels: [{ level: 0, format: LevelFormat.BULLET, text: "•", alignment: AlignmentType.LEFT,
style: { paragraph: { indent: { left: 720, hanging: 360 } } } }] },
{ reference: "numbers",
levels: [{ level: 0, format: LevelFormat.DECIMAL, text: "%1.", alignment: AlignmentType.LEFT,
style: { paragraph: { indent: { left: 720, hanging: 360 } } } }] },
]
},
sections: [{
children: [
new Paragraph({ numbering: { reference: "bullets", level: 0 },
children: [new TextRun("Bullet item")] }),
new Paragraph({ numbering: { reference: "numbers", level: 0 },
children: [new TextRun("Numbered item")] }),
]
}]
});
// ⚠️ Each reference creates INDEPENDENT numbering
// Same reference = continues (1,2,3 then 4,5,6)
// Different reference = restarts (1,2,3 then 1,2,3)
Tables
CRITICAL: Tables need dual widths - set both columnWidths on the table AND width on each cell. Without both, tables render incorrectly on some platforms.
// CRITICAL: Always set table width for consistent rendering
// CRITICAL: Use ShadingType.CLEAR (not SOLID) to prevent black backgrounds
const border = { style: BorderStyle.SINGLE, size: 1, color: "CCCCCC" };
const borders = { top: border, bottom: border, left: border, right: border };
new Table({
width: { size: 9360, type: WidthType.DXA }, // Always use DXA (percentages break in Google Docs)
columnWidths: [4680, 4680], // Must sum to table width (DXA: 1440 = 1 inch)
rows: [
new TableRow({
children: [
new TableCell({
borders,
width: { size: 4680, type: WidthType.DXA }, // Also set on each cell
shading: { fill: "D5E8F0", type: ShadingType.CLEAR }, // CLEAR not SOLID
margins: { top: 80, bottom: 80, left: 120, right: 120 }, // Cell padding (internal, not added to width)
children: [new Paragraph({ children: [new TextRun("Cell")] })]
})
]
})
]
})
Table width calculation:
Always use WidthType.DXA — WidthType.PERCENTAGE breaks in Google Docs.
// Table width = sum of columnWidths = content width
// US Letter with 1" margins: 12240 - 2880 = 9360 DXA
width: { size: 9360, type: WidthType.DXA },
columnWidths: [7000, 2360] // Must sum to table width
Width rules:
- Always use
WidthType.DXA— neverWidthType.PERCENTAGE(incompatible with Google Docs) - Table width must equal the sum of
columnWidths - Cell
widthmust match correspondingcolumnWidth - Cell
marginsare internal padding - they reduce content area, not add to cell width - For full-width tables: use content width (page width minus left and right margins)
Images
// CRITICAL: type parameter is REQUIRED
new Paragraph({
children: [new ImageRun({
type: "png", // Required: png, jpg, jpeg, gif, bmp, svg
data: fs.readFileSync("image.png"),
transformation: { width: 200, height: 150 },
altText: { title: "Title", description: "Desc", name: "Name" } // All three required
})]
})
Page Breaks
// CRITICAL: PageBreak must be inside a Paragraph
new Paragraph({ children: [new PageBreak()] })
// Or use pageBreakBefore
new Paragraph({ pageBreakBefore: true, children: [new TextRun("New page")] })
Hyperlinks
// External link
new Paragraph({
children: [new ExternalHyperlink({
children: [new TextRun({ text: "Click here", style: "Hyperlink" })],
link: "https://example.com",
})]
})
// Internal link (bookmark + reference)
// 1. Create bookmark at destination
new Paragraph({ heading: HeadingLevel.HEADING_1, children: [
new Bookmark({ id: "chapter1", children: [new TextRun("Chapter 1")] }),
]})
// 2. Link to it
new Paragraph({ children: [new InternalHyperlink({
children: [new TextRun({ text: "See Chapter 1", style: "Hyperlink" })],
anchor: "chapter1",
})]})
Footnotes
const doc = new Document({
footnotes: {
1: { children: [new Paragraph("Source: Annual Report 2024")] },
2: { children: [new Paragraph("See appendix for methodology")] },
},
sections: [{
children: [new Paragraph({
children: [
new TextRun("Revenue grew 15%"),
new FootnoteReferenceRun(1),
new TextRun(" using adjusted metrics"),
new FootnoteReferenceRun(2),
],
})]
}]
});
Tab Stops
// Right-align text on same line (e.g., date opposite a title)
new Paragraph({
children: [
new TextRun("Company Name"),
new TextRun("\tJanuary 2025"),
],
tabStops: [{ type: TabStopType.RIGHT, position: TabStopPosition.MAX }],
})
// Dot leader (e.g., TOC-style)
new Paragraph({
children: [
new TextRun("Introduction"),
new TextRun({ children: [
new PositionalTab({
alignment: PositionalTabAlignment.RIGHT,
relativeTo: PositionalTabRelativeTo.MARGIN,
leader: PositionalTabLeader.DOT,
}),
"3",
]}),
],
})
Multi-Column Layouts
// Equal-width columns
sections: [{
properties: {
column: {
count: 2, // number of columns
space: 720, // gap between columns in DXA (720 = 0.5 inch)
equalWidth: true,
separate: true, // vertical line between columns
},
},
children: [/* content flows naturally across columns */]
}]
// Custom-width columns (equalWidth must be false)
sections: [{
properties: {
column: {
equalWidth: false,
children: [
new Column({ width: 5400, space: 720 }),
new Column({ width: 3240 }),
],
},
},
children: [/* content */]
}]
Force a column break with a new section using type: SectionType.NEXT_COLUMN.
Table of Contents
// CRITICAL: Headings must use HeadingLevel ONLY - no custom styles
new TableOfContents("Table of Contents", { hyperlink: true, headingStyleRange: "1-3" })
Headers/Footers
sections: [{
properties: {
page: { margin: { top: 1440, right: 1440, bottom: 1440, left: 1440 } } // 1440 = 1 inch
},
headers: {
default: new Header({ children: [new Paragraph({ children: [new TextRun("Header")] })] })
},
footers: {
default: new Footer({ children: [new Paragraph({
children: [new TextRun("Page "), new TextRun({ children: [PageNumber.CURRENT] })]
})] })
},
children: [/* content */]
}]
Critical Rules for docx-js
- Set page size explicitly - docx-js defaults to A4; use US Letter (12240 x 15840 DXA) for US documents
- Landscape: pass portrait dimensions - docx-js swaps width/height internally; pass short edge as
width, long edge asheight, and setorientation: PageOrientation.LANDSCAPE - Never use
\n- use separate Paragraph elements - Never use unicode bullets - use
LevelFormat.BULLETwith numbering config - PageBreak must be in Paragraph - standalone creates invalid XML
- ImageRun requires
type- always specify png/jpg/etc - Always set table
widthwith DXA - never useWidthType.PERCENTAGE(breaks in Google Docs) - Tables need dual widths -
columnWidthsarray AND cellwidth, both must match - Table width = sum of columnWidths - for DXA, ensure they add up exactly
- Always add cell margins - use
margins: { top: 80, bottom: 80, left: 120, right: 120 }for readable padding - Use
ShadingType.CLEAR- never SOLID for table shading - Never use tables as dividers/rules - cells have minimum height and render as empty boxes (including in headers/footers); use
border: { bottom: { style: BorderStyle.SINGLE, size: 6, color: "2E75B6", space: 1 } }on a Paragraph instead. For two-column footers, use tab stops (see Tab Stops section), not tables - TOC requires HeadingLevel only - no custom styles on heading paragraphs
- Override built-in styles - use exact IDs: "Heading1", "Heading2", etc.
- Include
outlineLevel- required for TOC (0 for H1, 1 for H2, etc.)
Editing Existing Documents
Follow all 3 steps in order.
Step 1: Unpack
python scripts/office/unpack.py document.docx unpacked/
Extracts XML, pretty-prints, merges adjacent runs, and converts smart quotes to XML entities (“ etc.) so they survive editing. Use --merge-runs false to skip run merging.
Step 2: Edit XML
Edit files in unpacked/word/. See XML Reference below for patterns.
Use "Claude" as the author for tracked changes and comments, unless the user explicitly requests use of a different name.
Use the Edit tool directly for string replacement. Do not write Python scripts. Scripts introduce unnecessary complexity. The Edit tool shows exactly what is being replaced.
CRITICAL: Use smart quotes for new content. When adding text with apostrophes or quotes, use XML entities to produce smart quotes:
<!-- Use these entities for professional typography -->
<w:t>Here’s a quote: “Hello”</w:t>
| Entity | Character |
|---|---|
‘ | ‘ (left single) |
’ | ’ (right single / apostrophe) |
“ | “ (left double) |
” | ” (right double) |
Adding comments: Use comment.py to handle boilerplate across multiple XML files (text must be pre-escaped XML):
python scripts/comment.py unpacked/ 0 "Comment text with & and ’"
python scripts/comment.py unpacked/ 1 "Reply text" --parent 0 # reply to comment 0
python scripts/comment.py unpacked/ 0 "Text" --author "Custom Author" # custom author name
Then add markers to document.xml (see Comments in XML Reference).
Step 3: Pack
python scripts/office/pack.py unpacked/ output.docx --original document.docx
Validates with auto-repair, condenses XML, and creates DOCX. Use --validate false to skip.
Auto-repair will fix:
durableId>= 0x7FFFFFFF (regenerates valid ID)- Missing
xml:space="preserve"on<w:t>with whitespace
Auto-repair won't fix:
- Malformed XML, invalid element nesting, missing relationships, schema violations
Common Pitfalls
- Replace entire
<w:r>elements: When adding tracked changes, replace the whole<w:r>...</w:r>block with<w:del>...<w:ins>...as siblings. Don't inject tracked change tags inside a run. - Preserve
<w:rPr>formatting: Copy the original run's<w:rPr>block into your tracked change runs to maintain bold, font size, etc.
XML Reference
Schema Compliance
- Element order in
<w:pPr>:<w:pStyle>,<w:numPr>,<w:spacing>,<w:ind>,<w:jc>,<w:rPr>last - Whitespace: Add
xml:space="preserve"to<w:t>with leading/trailing spaces - RSIDs: Must be 8-digit hex (e.g.,
00AB1234)
Tracked Changes
Insertion:
<w:ins w:id="1" w:author="Claude" w:date="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z">
<w:r><w:t>inserted text</w:t></w:r>
</w:ins>
Deletion:
<w:del w:id="2" w:author="Claude" w:date="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z">
<w:r><w:delText>deleted text</w:delText></w:r>
</w:del>
Inside <w:del>: Use <w:delText> instead of <w:t>, and <w:delInstrText> instead of <w:instrText>.
Minimal edits - only mark what changes:
<!-- Change "30 days" to "60 days" -->
<w:r><w:t>The term is </w:t></w:r>
<w:del w:id="1" w:author="Claude" w:date="...">
<w:r><w:delText>30</w:delText></w:r>
</w:del>
<w:ins w:id="2" w:author="Claude" w:date="...">
<w:r><w:t>60</w:t></w:r>
</w:ins>
<w:r><w:t> days.</w:t></w:r>
Deleting entire paragraphs/list items - when removing ALL content from a paragraph, also mark the paragraph mark as deleted so it merges with the next paragraph. Add <w:del/> inside <w:pPr><w:rPr>:
<w:p>
<w:pPr>
<w:numPr>...</w:numPr> <!-- list numbering if present -->
<w:rPr>
<w:del w:id="1" w:author="Claude" w:date="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z"/>
</w:rPr>
</w:pPr>
<w:del w:id="2" w:author="Claude" w:date="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z">
<w:r><w:delText>Entire paragraph content being deleted...</w:delText></w:r>
</w:del>
</w:p>
Without the <w:del/> in <w:pPr><w:rPr>, accepting changes leaves an empty paragraph/list item.
Rejecting another author's insertion - nest deletion inside their insertion:
<w:ins w:author="Jane" w:id="5">
<w:del w:author="Claude" w:id="10">
<w:r><w:delText>their inserted text</w:delText></w:r>
</w:del>
</w:ins>
Restoring another author's deletion - add insertion after (don't modify their deletion):
<w:del w:author="Jane" w:id="5">
<w:r><w:delText>deleted text</w:delText></w:r>
</w:del>
<w:ins w:author="Claude" w:id="10">
<w:r><w:t>deleted text</w:t></w:r>
</w:ins>
Comments
After running comment.py (see Step 2), add markers to document.xml. For replies, use --parent flag and nest markers inside the parent's.
CRITICAL: <w:commentRangeStart> and <w:commentRangeEnd> are siblings of <w:r>, never inside <w:r>.
<!-- Comment markers are direct children of w:p, never inside w:r -->
<w:commentRangeStart w:id="0"/>
<w:del w:id="1" w:author="Claude" w:date="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z">
<w:r><w:delText>deleted</w:delText></w:r>
</w:del>
<w:r><w:t> more text</w:t></w:r>
<w:commentRangeEnd w:id="0"/>
<w:r><w:rPr><w:rStyle w:val="CommentReference"/></w:rPr><w:commentReference w:id="0"/></w:r>
<!-- Comment 0 with reply 1 nested inside -->
<w:commentRangeStart w:id="0"/>
<w:commentRangeStart w:id="1"/>
<w:r><w:t>text</w:t></w:r>
<w:commentRangeEnd w:id="1"/>
<w:commentRangeEnd w:id="0"/>
<w:r><w:rPr><w:rStyle w:val="CommentReference"/></w:rPr><w:commentReference w:id="0"/></w:r>
<w:r><w:rPr><w:rStyle w:val="CommentReference"/></w:rPr><w:commentReference w:id="1"/></w:r>
Images
- Add image file to
word/media/ - Add relationship to
word/_rels/document.xml.rels:
<Relationship Id="rId5" Type=".../image" Target="media/image1.png"/>
- Add content type to
[Content_Types].xml:
<Default Extension="png" ContentType="image/png"/>
- Reference in document.xml:
<w:drawing>
<wp:inline>
<wp:extent cx="914400" cy="914400"/> <!-- EMUs: 914400 = 1 inch -->
<a:graphic>
<a:graphicData uri=".../picture">
<pic:pic>
<pic:blipFill><a:blip r:embed="rId5"/></pic:blipFill>
</pic:pic>
</a:graphicData>
</a:graphic>
</wp:inline>
</w:drawing>
Dependencies
- pandoc: Text extraction
- docx:
npm install -g docx(new documents) - LibreOffice: PDF conversion (auto-configured for sandboxed environments via
scripts/office/soffice.py) - Poppler:
pdftoppmfor images
FAQ
What does the docx skill do?
Use this skill whenever the user wants to create, read, edit, or manipulate Word documents (.docx files). Triggers include: any mention of 'Word doc', 'word document', '.docx', or requests to produce professional documents with formatting like tables of contents, headings, page numbers, or letterheads. Also use when extracting or reorganizing content from .docx files, inserting or replacing images in documents, performing find-and-replace in Word files, working with tracked changes or comments, or converting content into a polished Word document. If the user asks for a 'report', 'memo', 'letter', 'template', or similar deliverable as a Word or .docx file, use this skill. Do NOT use for PDFs, spreadsheets, Google Docs, or general coding tasks unrelated to document generation.
How do I install docx?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill docx in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/docx/ (personal) or .claude/skills/docx/ (project).
Which AI agents can use docx?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is docx safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains docx?
It is published by davila7 in davila7/claude-code-templates. It has 524 recorded installs.
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