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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Convert DOCX to DOC (o...
Power Automate
Suggested Answer

Convert DOCX to DOC (or just remove control fields from generated docx file)

(1) ShareShare
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Posted on by 2

Hi everyone.

I’m using Word Online (Business) > Populate a Microsoft Word template in a cloud flow to generate DOCX documents stored in SharePoint. The document generates correctly and all fields populate as expected.

However, the populated content remains inside XML-mapped content controls. In the generated document:
- Clicking inside a populated field selects the entire content control.
- Editing overwrites the whole field.
- Removing the content control deletes the text unless it has first been manually edited.
- The document is not protected and editing restrictions are disabled.

After the document is generated, I want the content controls to be removed automatically so the final DOCX contains only normal editable text.
I am looking for a native cloud flow solution that doesn't use any external paid connectors (seems like a waste for just one action)

Questions:
Is there any supported way to strip or flatten content controls after using Populate a Microsoft Word template?
Is there a native method to convert DOCX → DOC within a cloud flow (not just renaming the extension)?
Is there a way to configure the template so that populated controls are not XML-mapped or do not retain structured editing behaviour?
If this is not currently supported, can Microsoft confirm whether this is a platform limitation, and if there might be something that remedies this coming soon?

The attached image is a flow suggestion from 
https://community.powerplatform.com/forums/thread/details/?threadid=1b644116-4d8c-4a0c-9a2d-f48663140e6e
but this only seems to rename the DOCX file to DOC instead of actually converting the format.

Untitled.jpg
I have the same question (0)
  • Suggested answer
    Expiscornovus Profile Picture
    33,830 Most Valuable Professional on at
     
    Do you have a specific reason to convert it to a file of the extension .doc? (which is the Word 97–2007 legacy word document format).
     
    Is it just to strip away those content controls while keeping it editable, correct? 
     
    Most common approach I have seen is to convert it to a pdf instead (which technically can also still be edited, if needed). And that should also be possible without premium:
     
     
    Happy to help out 😁

    I share more #PowerAutomate and #SharePointOnline content on my Blog, LinkedIn, Bluesky profile or Youtube Channel
     
     
  • CU27022250-0 Profile Picture
    2 on at
    Hi @Expiscornovus
     
    Thanks for the reply. 
     
    I've tried converting to PDF,  which works fine but I need to.convert it back to a doc/docx file for editing, but the formstting goes all out of whack. This is part of a tool that I'm rolling out for my team and I need to make it as simple as possible. Trying to tell them that they need to edit a PDF would be harder than it's worth. 
     
    Ideally, I'd be converting to doc to get rid of all the control fields, and then converting it back to Docx (might not be needed). 

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