Deliver texts from Word optimally for web projects
If you need to bring content from Word documents into a web project, but only have the Word documents and no prepared HTML, there are several steps you can follow to create proper HTML:
Format templates
One aspect of preparing Word documents for web projects is the correct use of styles for headings and other text elements. Instead of highlighting headings through manual adjustments such as increasing the font size or bolding them, you should use the predefined heading styles in Word (e.g. Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.). Not only does this ensure a consistent and professional look for your document, but it also makes conversion to HTML easier as this formatting can be converted into corresponding HTML tags. Using styles makes the structure of your document clearer and helps search engines and assistive technologies understand your content better. In addition, styles enable easy navigation in the document and the creation of an automatic table of contents. Finally, when you save your Word document as HTML, this formatting is preserved and contributes to a clean, semantically correct structure of the HTML code, which is particularly important for improving the accessibility and search engine friendliness of your website."
This paragraph complements the existing recommendations by highlighting the importance of using styles in Word for headings and other structural elements, which leads to better results when converted to HTML and increases the quality and accessibility of web content.
Clean up the text
Before you start converting, clean up the text in your Word document:
- Remove unnecessary formatting such as special fonts, colors and backgrounds.
- Make sure headings, lists, and other structural elements are used consistently.
Use Word's saving options
Modern versions of Microsoft Word provide the ability to save documents as HTML:
- In Word, go to File > Save As.
- Choose the location where you want to save the file.
- In the “File Type” drop-down menu, select “Web Page, Filtered (*.htm; *.html)” or simply “Web Page.”
- Click on "Save".
The Web Page Filtered option removes Microsoft-specific tags and maintains a cleaner HTML structure. However, note that even this method may still contain unnecessary tags and styles that need to be cleaned up manually.
Use online converters
There are numerous online tools that convert Word documents to clean HTML. These tools often provide better results than converting directly through Word:
- Search for “Word to HTML Converter” on the Internet.
- Choose a tool and upload your Word document.
- Convert the document and check the resulting HTML for cleanliness and correctness.
Some of these tools provide options for further cleaning and customization of the HTML code.
Clean the HTML manually
Regardless of the method chosen, it is often necessary to clean the HTML manually:
- Remove unnecessary styles and tags inserted by Word.
- Make sure the HTML is semantically correct by using the correct tags for headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.
- Check the HTML with a validator, such as the W3C Markup Validation Service, to find and fix errors and warnings.
Test the HTML in different browsers
To ensure your HTML works correctly:
- Open the HTML file in different web browsers to check compatibility and appearance.
- Adjust the HTML if necessary to ensure consistent results across different browsers.
By following this process, you can convert content from Word documents into clean and effective HTML for your web projects. While it requires a little more effort than simply copying and pasting, the result is a better web presence that is both user and search engine friendly.