Create a Word 2016 document to be used by previous versions of Word

You might sometimes want to share your documents with people who are using earlier versions of Word.

Word 2007, 2010, and 2013 can open .docx files created with Word 2016.

Word 2003 users who have installed Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats can also open Word 2013 and 2016 documents.

If you aren't sure which earlier version they're using, you can save documents in the Word 97 – 2003 (.doc) file format.

Note: To find out which content and features aren't available for editing in earlier versions, see Features that behave differently in earlier versions.

Create a new document in Word 97 – 2003 format

To create a new document in Word 2016 that someone using an old version of Word can review and edit, save it in Word 97-2003 format.

1. Click File > New.

2. Open a new document by clicking Blank document.

3. Click File > Save As, and then choose a location to save your file.

4. Type a name for the document and click More options to open the Save As dialog box.

5. In the Save as type list, click Word 97-2003 Document. This changes the file format from .docx to .doc.

6. Click Save.

Features that behave differently when you use the Word 97 – 2003 document format

These tables lists document elements that behave differently or aren't available when you edit .doc files.

Word 2016	Change when using the Word 97 – 2003 (.doc) file format
Apps for Office	Permanently removed from the document.
Web Video	Permanently converted to a picture with a hyperlink to the web video.
Comment reply/"done" information	Comment replies will become top-level individual comments, and all comments marked "done" are reset.
Collapsed by default headings	Headings are expanded by default; the property is permanently lost.
New Word 2010 numbering formats Uppercase Turkish (Latin) {A, B, C, Ç, D, …} Lowercase Turkish (Latin) {a, b, c, ç, d, …} Uppercase Bulgarian (Cyrillic) {А,Б,В,Г,Д, …} Lowercase Bulgarian (Cyrillic) {а, б, в, г, д, …} Uppercase Greek {Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε, …} Lowercase Greek {α, β, γ, δ, ε,…} 3-digit fixed format {001…NNN} 4-digit fixed format {0001…NNNN} 5-digit fixed format {00001…NNNNN}	New numbering formats are converted to Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, ...).
New shape and text box effects	Shapes and text boxes are converted to effects available in the .doc file format.
Text effects	Effects on text are permanently removed.
Alternative text on tables	Tables lose alternative-text information.
OpenType features	OpenType features are permanently removed from text.
Blocking authors	Locks applied to regions of the document are removed.
New WordArt effects	Effects on text are permanently removed.
Content controls	Content controls are converted to static content.
Themes	Permanently converted to styles.
Major/minor fonts	Permanently converted to direct formatting of the fonts.
Tracked moves	Permanently converted to insertions and deletions.
Alignment tabs	Permanently converted to traditional tabs.
SmartArt graphics	Converted to a single image; if no changes are made in Word 2003, the SmartArt can be recreated by opening in Word 2013 and upgrading the document to the Open XML file format.
Charts and diagrams	Converted to a single image; if no changes are made in Word 2003, the chart can be recreated by opening in Word 2013 and upgrading the document to the Open XML file format. All data beyond the limits supported by Excel 2003 is permanently removed.
Open XML Embedded objects	No change.
Building blocks	Building blocks and AutoText entries might lose some information.
Bibliography	Permanently converted to static text.
Citations	Permanently converted to static text.
Equations	Converted to a single image; if no changes are made in Word 2003, the equation can be recreated by opening in Word 2013 and upgrading the document to the Open XML file format.
Relative text boxes (Text boxes sized to a percentage of page width or height)	Relative measurements are permanently converted to absolute positioning.