Mass Convert DOCX to PDF in Batch Quickly!

If you’ve ever tried to convert dozens, hundreds of DOCX files to PDFs you know how monotonous it might be to complete it one after the other. Luckily, getting around mass converting DOCX to PDF is not as complicated nor time consuming as one might imagine. In this guide, we will guide you about different tools, plans and approaches to batch convert DOCX into PDF format at once. Let’s get started!

What Are DOCX and PDF Files?

DOCX Files: DOCX is the file type introduced by Microsoft Word in Word 2007 as the primary file format. It employs open XML documentation to give structures of texts, images, charts and other parts. DOCX files are commonly used for drafting and editing many body text documents such as reports, CV’s, and letters among others.

PDF Files: PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format provided by Adobe that retains all of the original document features regardless of the platform or device used. PDFs are created as single-use documents that are difficult to alter / edit; therefore, they are perfect for distribution and guarantee uniform appearance/look of any document.

Why Mass Convert DOCX to PDF?

Before going through the how to, let me briefly highlight a few why’s for converting multiple DOCX files to PDF. DOCX and PDF files are linked as both are used worldwide in document management but have slightly different functions.

1) Content Creation vs. Sharing:

• DOCX format is best suited for creating as well as editing documents and files. It means that the format and layout of the document can be easily managed, text can be easily edited and there are multiple people who can work on the document.
• PDF is most suitable in delivering finalized content since the appearance of the document is compatible with the devices and cannot be easily modified.

2) Conversion Workflow:

• One of the frequently employed flows is the document creation in DOCX format using Word and converting such files into PDF once it is finalized for distribution. This makes sure that the recipient sees the document actually as it was planned.

3) Preservation of Formatting:

• PDFs are helpful to maintain the elaborate formatting of tables, charts, fonts used in the creation of a DOCX file to make the document seem unchanged regardless of the reader’s device or reader.

Compatibility:

• This file format is compatible with both; the layout of the book and typed pages can be in either format. Still, using DOCX is possible only via word processors, while opening PDF is possible on almost any device with the help of the PDF reader.

In conclusion, we have found that DOCX format is the initial platform in document production, whereas PDF is the final output for safe and presentable sharing.

Now that we’ve established the why, let’s focus on the how.

#1 How to Convert with Microsoft Word’s (Windows Only)

Since most users working with DOCX files already have Microsoft Word, we are going to leverage its built-in facilities to convert multiple DOCX files to PDF format. It consists of two ways:

• The first way makes use of the Save As feature of Microsoft Word to save Word documents as PDF.
• The second way makes use of VBA Macros to introduce the batch conversion facility in Microsoft Word.

Now let’s see the methods.

(I) Microsoft Word “Save As” Feature

1. Open the DOCX file in Microsoft Word app.
2. Now, go to File > Save As > Browse.
3. Click on “PDF” from the “Save as type” dropdown list.
4. Finally, click on the “Save” button to save the DOCX file as PDF.

(II) Microsoft Word VBA Macros

As you may notice below, this method takes a little configuration, but it is free and efficient to convert DOCX to PDF without having to use any additional software. It may not work if you have no knowledge of VBA macros.

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Enable the Developer Tab by going to “File” > “Options” > “Customize Ribbon.”
3. Check the box next to “Developer” and click “OK.”
4. Create a Macro for Batch Conversion on the Developer tab by clicking “Visual Basic.”
5. Insert the following VBA code:

Sub BatchConvertDOCXtoPDF()

    Dim doc As Document

    Dim folderPath As String

    Dim fileName As String

    Dim outputPath As String

folderPath = "C:\YourFolderPath\" 'Replace with your folder path

fileName = Dir(folderPath & "*.docx")

    Do While fileName <> ""

        Set doc = Documents.Open(folderPath & fileName)

        outputPath = folderPath & Replace(fileName, ".docx", ".pdf")

        doc.ExportAsFixedFormat outputPath, wdExportFormatPDF

        doc.Close False

        fileName = Dir

    Loop

End Sub

Here make sure to replace C:\YourFolderPath\ with the path to your DOCX files. Then, run this macro to automatically convert all DOCX files in the folder path to PDF.

#2 How to Convert DOCX to PDF Online Free

Many websites provide an easy way to convert DOCX to PDF online for free. However, there will be a limit on the number of files and conversion per day. So, although these methods are free, they are not for mass conversion. Some popular options include Smallpdf, ILovePDF & PDF2Go.

1. Choose an online tool and open its website.
2. Then, drag and drop the DOCX file onto the Upload screen.
3. The tool will automatically convert the file.
4. Click the Download button to download the resulting PDF on your system.

Tip: Since you are uploading your file to an unknown web server, make sure that the document does not contain any sensitive data.

#3 How to Perform Mass Conversion with SysTools Batch DOCX to PDF Converter

SysTools Batch Document Converter is one of the best software that is specialized in converting batch DOCX to PDF Format. It is friendly to the user and fast; thus, it is suitable to use when dealing with numerous files.

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The software has the feature of batch conversion which means one can mass convert DOCX to PDF at one time. It also makes sure that all the formatting styles concerning your documents such as layout and font type are preserved. And it also has additional file support i.e., in addition to DOCX, it opens other formats, for instance, TXT, RTF, HTML, and 40+ more.

Video:

Guide for How to Convert DOCX Files to PDF:

1. Click on the Add Files button or the Add Folder button to load your DOCX files.
2. Open the DOCX files in the preview panel for the convenience of viewing.
3. Next, choose the output folder of the converted PDF files.
4. It may be necessary to make other settings such as, layout style of the particular page, the number of pages and so on.
5. To start a batch process, click the “Export” button at the bottom.

This software is particularly useful for dealing with different kinds of documents like converting ODT to PDF, WPS to PDF and XLSX to PDF conversion.

#4 How to Automate Conversion with Python (Advanced Users)

For the users with a high level of computer literacy, the use of Python presents an effective means of batch converting DOCX files into PDFs. Writing your own script for bulk conversion is not a big problem: for this purpose, there are python libraries python-docx and pywin32. Here is a basic coding to generate PDF files using Python:

import os

from win32com import client

# Define folder paths

input_folder = "C:\YourFolderPath\"

output_folder = "C:\YourOutputPath\"

# Initialize Word application

word = client.Dispatch("Word.Application")

for file in os.listdir(input_folder):

    if file.endswith(".docx"):

        input_file = os.path.join(input_folder, file)

        output_file = os.path.join(output_folder, file.replace(".docx", ".pdf"))

        doc = word.Documents.Open(input_file)

        doc.SaveAs(output_file, FileFormat=17)  # 17 corresponds to PDF format

        doc.Close()

word.Quit()

Input the folder paths of the DOCX files and the output directory, and then run the script. This method is perfect for the users who are comfortable with coding or at least willing to work with code because everything is completely customized here.

#5 How to Mass Convert DOCX to PDF on Mac

Mac users can easily convert multiple DOCX files to PDF using built-in tools like Automator or third-party apps like SysTools as described above. Here are the steps using Automator and the steps using SysTools are the same as published in #3.

1. Double click on the Automator icon located in your application folder.
2. Select the option that says “Workflow” when you are defining the file type.
3. With regards to executing tasks, drag “Get Specified Finder Items” into the workflow.
4. Then, drag “Convert Format of Word Documents” and choose PDF as the output format.
5. Insert your DOCX files and, starting the workflow, transform them into PDFs.

#6 How to Convert Multiple DOCX Files to PDF on Linux

Linux users can try LibreOffice with following conversion commands or scripts for mass conversion. Here are the steps to export DOCX to PDF in bulk on Linux:

1. Install LibreOffice. If not installed, use the command: sudo apt install libreoffice
2. Run the batch conversion command: soffice –headless –convert-to pdf *.docx
3. The converted PDF files will be saved in the directory of the source .docx files.

#7 How to Batch Convert on Mobile (Android & iPhone)

On mobile, you can find plenty of solutions in the App store that can help in batch conversion. Here are the steps for Android & iPhone respectively with one such app:

For Android:

1. Get the app like PDF Converter from the Google Store Play.
2. Open the app and add multiple DOCX files.
3. Choose the “Convert to PDF” button.
4. You should then either download the PDFs to the storage device of your phone or to an external storage space such as the cloud.

For iPhone:

1. Download PDF Expert application from the iTunes store.
2. Files can be imported from Files or cloud storage.
3. The last step to achieve is to click on the button labeled “Convert to PDF”.

Conclusion

It is quite easy to mass convert DOCX to PDF format with proper techniques. No matter if you are a new user/are using Microsoft Word, online tools, SysTools Batch DOCX to PDF Converter, Automator on Mac, LibreOffice on Linux or mobile apps, there is a method for each and every level of expertise and for devices as well. Next time when you perform the same tasks of converting multiple DOCX files to PDF, you’d better revisit this article and avoid losing lots of time.