How to batch convert docx files using LibreOffice

Quickly convert docx files into odt, pdf, html, and more.

Years ago, I created dozens of documents using Microsoft Office for graduate school assignments. When I needed to convert those files to a different format without relying on an online tool, open source came to the rescue.

For example, five years ago I took a course where all the documents were provided in docx format. Was there an easy way to convert those files to the open odt format? Absolutely, and it’s simple:

$ libreoffice --headless --convert-to odt *.docx

The above command will convert all docx files in the current directory to odt format.  

Read more: 5 tips to get started on accessibility

But, what if I wanted to convert those same docx files to html so I could easily share them on my classroom website? No problem:

$ libreoffice --headless --convert-to html *.docx

Or maybe I wanted to create PDFs from those documents? Just a slight tweak to the command:

$ libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf *.docx

Running LibreOffice from the command line inside the folder with your files is straightforward, and the conversion only takes a few seconds depending on your processor and memory.

To explore even more command-line features, use the help attribute:

$ libreoffice --help

This is a perfect example of the power and flexibility that open source software brings to everyday tasks.

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This article is adapted from “The power of LibreOffice” by Don Watkins, and is republished with permission from the author.