Free DOCX sample files
The default Microsoft Word format since 2007: a ZIP package of XML parts. Download valid DOCX test files in 6 exact sizes, from 50 KB to 10 MB, each with a checksum.
- Extension
- .docx
- MIME type
- application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
- Kind
- Binary
- Category
- Documents
DOCX files by size
Every file below is a valid Word document (Office Open XML) file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents. DOCX files cannot be displayed by a browser, so their pages show the file's details instead of a preview.
| File | Size | Contents | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 KB DOCX samplesample-docx-50kb.docx | 50 KB51,200 bytes | Headings, paragraphs, a bulleted list, a table and one image | Download DOCX |
| 100 KB DOCX samplesample-docx-100kb.docx | 100 KB102,400 bytes | Headings, paragraphs, a bulleted list, a table and one image | Download DOCX |
| 500 KB DOCX samplesample-docx-500kb.docx | 500 KB512,000 bytes | Headings, paragraphs, a bulleted list, a table and one image | Download DOCX |
| 1 MB DOCX samplesample-docx-1mb.docx | 1 MB1,048,576 bytes | Headings, paragraphs, a bulleted list, a table and one image | Download DOCX |
| 5 MB DOCX samplesample-docx-5mb.docx | 5 MB5,242,880 bytes | Headings, paragraphs, a bulleted list, a table and one image | Download DOCX |
| 10 MB DOCX samplesample-docx-10mb.docx | 10 MB10,485,760 bytes | Headings, paragraphs, a bulleted list, a table and one image | Download DOCX |
What is a DOCX file?
A .docx file is a ZIP archive that holds XML files describing the text, styles and settings of a document, along with any embedded images. Renaming one to .zip and opening it shows the parts inside.
Because the content is compressed XML, DOCX files are much smaller than the older binary .doc format, and they can be generated and inspected with ordinary ZIP and XML tools.
How to recognise a DOCX file
| Extension | .docx |
|---|---|
| MIME type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Standard | ECMA-376 and ISO/IEC 29500 |
| Container | ZIP (Open Packaging Conventions) |
| Main part | word/document.xml |
| Macros | Not allowed in .docx; macro-enabled documents use .docm |
What to test for
These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles DOCX files.
- Content sniffers often report DOCX as application/zip. Correct detection has to look inside the package for [Content_Types].xml.
- The long MIME type is frequently mistyped in allow-lists, which makes valid Word files fail validation.
- Some gateways re-compress or strip ZIP files in transit, which corrupts the document.
Strengths of DOCX
- Editable everywhere: Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages all open it.
- Compressed XML keeps text-heavy documents small and easy to process with ordinary tools.
Limitations of DOCX
- Layout depends on the fonts and the application, so the same file can paginate differently.
- Content sniffers see only a ZIP archive, which complicates type validation.
Typical uses of DOCX test files
- Testing document uploads in HR, legal and education software
- Checking document-to-PDF conversion
- Verifying MIME detection of ZIP-based formats
- Testing text indexing and search
Software that opens DOCX
- Microsoft Word
- Google Docs
- LibreOffice Writer
- Apple Pages
- Pandoc, python-docx and Apache POI libraries
Specifications
Related
DOCX sample files: questions
- Will these files open in Google Docs and LibreOffice?
- Yes. They use standard Office Open XML with no macros, tracked changes or custom extensions.
- Why does my server say the file is a ZIP archive?
- Because it is one. Tools that only read the first bytes cannot tell DOCX from ZIP; they must check the package contents or fall back to the file extension.
- What is the MIME type of a DOCX file?
- The MIME type is application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document. The file extension is .docx.
- Is a sample DOCX file the same as a dummy or example DOCX file?
- Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example DOCX files are different names for the same thing: a DOCX file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy DOCX file.