How to preview a document online
- Click Choose a file, or drag the file onto the box above.
- The document opens in this page: Word files page by page, PDFs at full quality, spreadsheets as tables with a tab for each sheet.
- Read it, or use Print or save as PDF. Close the page when you are done; nothing is kept.
That is all a doc preview online needs to be: no software to install, no account, and no waiting for a file to upload and convert on someone else's server.
File types you can open
| Format | Extensions | How it is shown |
|---|---|---|
| Word | .docx | Pages with fonts, headings, tables, lists and images (DOCX viewer) |
| Every page as it prints, first 60 pages (PDF viewer) | ||
| Spreadsheets | .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, .ods, .csv | A table per sheet, first 2,000 rows (Excel viewer) |
| PowerPoint | .pptx | The text of each slide |
| Text | .txt, .md, .json, .xml, .log | Plain text |
| Images | .jpg, .png, .gif, .webp, .svg | The picture |
Why your file is never uploaded
Most online document viewers send your file to their servers to convert it, and many limit you to a few files a day. This viewer works differently: the file is read by your own browser and drawn on your screen, so it never leaves your device. That matters for the documents people open most often on a careers site: CVs with phone numbers and addresses, offer letters, bank challans and certificates.
DOC vs DOCX: which can be previewed?
DOCX is the format Word has used since Office 2007. It is a package of XML files, which a browser can read, so DOCX files preview here directly. DOC is the older Word 97–2003 binary format, which browsers cannot read. If you have a .doc file, open it in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and choose Save as → Word Document (.docx); the new file previews here with the same content.
Open documents on Android and iPhone
Phones often have no Word or Excel app installed. In Chrome or Safari, open this page, tap Choose a file and pick the document from Files, Downloads or WhatsApp documents. It opens in the page. That makes it easy to check a job advertisement, a merit list or your CV on the move.
Online viewer, Google Docs or Word Online?
| This viewer | Google Docs / Word Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Account needed | No | Yes (Google or Microsoft) |
| File uploaded | No, stays on your device | Yes, stored in your cloud drive |
| Editing | No, view and print only | Yes |
| Best for | Quick, private preview | Writing and editing |
If a file will not open
- Password-protected: encrypted files cannot be previewed. Remove the password in the program that made the file.
- Wrong extension: a file renamed from .doc to .docx is still a .doc inside. Re-save it properly.
- Damaged download: download the file again; incomplete files fail to open.
- Fonts look different: a font missing on your device is replaced by a similar one. Ask the sender for a PDF if exact layout matters.
Check your CV before you apply
Employers in Pakistan and abroad mostly receive CVs as Word or PDF files. Open yours here to see it the way a recruiter will, and check that the layout, fonts and page breaks hold. Then:
- run it through the free CV Analyzer for feedback on sections, keywords and formatting;
- or rebuild it in the free CV Maker, with templates for Pakistan, Europe (Europass layout) and the USA.