docx
The docx skill enables Claude to create, edit, and analyze professional Word documents (.docx files) through multiple methods including pandoc for text extraction, docx-js JavaScript library for document generation with full formatting control, and XML manipulation for advanced editing. Use this skill when Claude needs to generate new formatted documents, modify existing Word files, extract content while preserving tracked changes and comments, or convert documents to other formats like PDF or images.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OpenCoworkAI/open-cowork /tmp/docx && cp -r /tmp/docx/.claude/skills/docx ~/.claude/skills/docxSKILL.md
# 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 |
### Reading Content
```bash
# Text extraction with tracked changes
pandoc --track-changes=all document.docx -o output.md
# Raw XML access
python3 scripts/unpack.py document.docx unpacked/
```
### Converting to Images
```bash
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf document.docx
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 document.pdf page
```
---
## Creating New Documents
Generate .docx files with JavaScript. Install: `npm install -g docx`
### Setup
```javascript
const { Document, Packer, Paragraph, TextRun, Table, TableRow, TableCell, ImageRun,
Header, Footer, AlignmentType, PageOrientation, LevelFormat, ExternalHyperlink,
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));
```
### Page Size
```javascript
// 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 |
### Styles (Override Built-in Headings)
Use Arial as the default font (universally supported). Keep titles black for readability.
```javascript
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)
```javascript
// ❌ 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.
```javascript
// 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: 100, type: WidthType.PERCENTAGE }, // Always set table width
columnWidths: [4680, 4680], // Set at table level (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:**
Use `WidthType.PERCENTAGE` for simplicity, or `WidthType.DXA` for precise control:
```javascript
// Option 1: Percentage (recommended - automatically fits content area)
width: { size: 100, type: WidthType.PERCENTAGE }
// Option 2: DXA (precise control)
// 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:**
- Table width must equal the sum of `columnWidths`
- Cell `width` must match corresponding `columnWidth`
- Cell `margins` are internal padding - they reduce cComprehensive PDF manipulation toolkit for extracting text and tables, creating new PDFs, merging/splitting documents, and handling forms. When Claude needs to fill in a PDF form or programmatically process, generate, or analyze PDF documents at scale.
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