How to batch convert .doc or .docx to .pdf (2025)

42

lowriter can be used as a command line tool (lowriter is a part of LibreOffice)

lowriter --convert-to pdf *.docconvert /home/bodhi/Documents/testdoc2.doc -> /home/bodhi/Documents/testdoc2.pdf using writer_pdf_Exportconvert /home/bodhi/Documents/testdoc.doc -> /home/bodhi/Documents/testdoc.pdf using writer_pdf_Exportevince testdoc.pdf

I do not have windows, so testdoc download from here

www.mltweb.com/prof/testdoc.doc

• libreofice throws errors using this method, complains of not finding /home/user/documents/test.docx blah

  –Ringtail

  Commented Mar 20, 2012 at 1:00

• what command did you use ? Do you have a test.docx ?

  –Panther

  Commented Mar 20, 2012 at 4:06

• 1

  Works perfect for me! Beware of using "space" character from command line... When you get to the space character simply press "tab" ;)

  –Pitto

  Commented Nov 16, 2012 at 13:11

• 2

  lowriter does not convert docx files correctly. At least not always.

  –Sceptical Jule

  Commented Dec 26, 2013 at 19:56

• 1

  When I first tried your suggested lowriter command on Ubuntu 12.04, it opened a splash window and froze. I killed it with C-c and tried again without a DISPLAY variable. This time it first printed an error about missing display, but convert the document without any problems. Is it expected behavior, that the command can only work without a DISPLAY environment variable?

  –kasperd

  Commented May 30, 2014 at 10:35

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9

• 2

  Just for the record: $ unoconv myfile.docx (it creates myfile.pdf)

  –tokland

  Commented May 9, 2017 at 10:09

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6

I use the following script:

for f in *.docdolowriter --headless --convert-to pdf "$f"done

--headless will prevent Libreoffice from opening 100s of files and eventually crashing if you try this with directories containing a lot of .doc files

• this is the best, works for multiple files

  –Bas Lamerichs

  Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 17:55

• 1

  i believe the same can be done in one line: lowriter --headless --convert-to pdf *.doc. yeah, kudos to @Matin below ;)

  –diabolusss

  Commented Sep 24, 2024 at 11:34

• @diabolusss You are right. To my defense, I answered 8 years earlier ;-)

  –Bruni

  Commented Sep 27, 2024 at 12:39

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1

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In my opinion, the best way is with unoconv.

First install the package:

sudo apt install unoconv

and then convert to pdf using this command:

unoconv -f pdf XXYY.docx

(Replace XXYY.docx with the name of your file.)

• Reasons why you would choose unoconv over other options?

  –gatorback

  Commented Apr 15, 2019 at 10:50

• "Unoconv is deprecated" from github.com/unoconv/unoconv

  –Avatar

  Commented Feb 22, 2022 at 12:04

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• command-line
• pdf
• batch