Import a Word document

Started your paper in Word? Import it into Papero as a new document and keep writing there. Papero reads the file in your browser. It uploads nothing but the finished document.

Import a file

1. Press Documents in the sidebar and choose Import Word document. You can also choose Import Word document in the command palette.
2. Pick a .docx file.
3. Papero shows Importing with the file's name while it reads the file. You cannot close this window until it is done.
4. The new document opens.

Papero imports one file at a time. The new document gets the language of the document you opened last, as a new document does. You can change it in Document options under Document language…. See Interface language.

What comes across

• Your text, with its paragraphs, lists and tables.
• Your headings, as Papero headings.
• Paragraphs in Word's Quote styles, as quotes.
• Links, where Papero can keep them.
• The title: when the file opens with a paragraph in Word's Title style, or has a single Heading 1, that text becomes the document's title. Otherwise it stays in the text as a heading.

Citations from a reference manager come across as the text they showed in Word. They are not Papero citations yet. To manage them in Papero, cite the sources again with Cite. See Cite as you write.

What is left out

Papero does not import images, charts or diagrams, equations, footnotes, endnotes, Word comments, shapes or drawings, linked documents, headers and footers, or some symbols. After the import, a notice lists what was not imported from your file. It stays until you dismiss it, so you can work through it.

To add the images back, see Tables, figures and images. To add equations, see Charts and equations.

Imported, with some differences

Some things come across changed. When that happens, the notice says Imported, with some differences and lists only what applies to your file:

• Tracked changes were accepted.
• Hidden text now shows as normal text.
• A heading lost its automatic number. Its text is kept.
• A link became plain text, such as an email address. The words stay.
• Some of the text, or something else in the file, could not be read.

Read through the new document once before you go on, especially where the notice points.

When a file will not import

Papero tells you why and what to do. Choose another file lets you try again at once.

• An older Word file (.doc): open it in Word, save it as .docx, and import that.
• Not a .docx file: Papero imports Word documents saved as .docx only.
• A file that is too large: remove large pictures in Word, save it, and try again.
• A password-protected file: in Word, remove the password or save it as a new .docx.
• Too long for one Papero document: split it in Word and import each part.
• Tables too large or too deeply nested: simplify them in Word and try again.
• Text Papero cannot reach, such as text in a text box: move the text onto the page in Word.
• A damaged file: open it in Word, save it again, and try once more.
• A file that holds too much internal data, or takes too long to read: in Word, copy the text into a new document, save that, and import it.
• A file with only images or equations: Papero imports text only.

If the import stops halfway, reload the page and try again. If it happens again, the file may be too large for your device.

If Papero could not confirm the save, the new document goes to your Archive, in case part of it was saved. Check there before you import again.

Next steps

Once your text is in Papero, set your citation style and start citing. See Citation styles and Cite as you write. To send the finished paper back to Word, see Export to Word.

Next: version history.