DOCX Editing

Working with Word documents in Nebula Writer while keeping formatting intact.

When to Use This Page

• You are editing Word documents without Microsoft Office
• You want to preserve styles and layout
• You want to use AI for formatting changes

Why DOCX in Nebula Writer

• Edit Word files without Microsoft Office
• Preserve existing styles and layout
• Use AI to apply consistent formatting changes

Overview

Nebula Writer edits .docx files natively — no Microsoft Office required. Your formatting is preserved because we edit the actual XML inside the document.

Opening DOCX Files

Import a Document

1. Click File → Import or use the import button
2. Select a .docx file from your computer
3. The document opens in the editor

From Your Vault

If you already have .docx files in your project folder, they appear in the sidebar automatically.

The Editor

DOCX files open in a rich text editor with a formatting toolbar.

Toolbar Options

Formatting with Keyboard

AI-Powered Editing

The AI can edit DOCX files just like text documents.

Example Requests

Make the title bold and centered

Change all headings to blue

Add a new paragraph after the introduction

Replace "Company ABC" with "Acme Corp" throughout the document

Make the font size larger in the first section

How It Works

1. AI reads the document structure — paragraphs, runs, formatting
2. AI applies changes — using specialized DOCX tools
3. You see a diff — showing before/after
4. Accept or reject — changes aren't final until you approve

Viewing Document Structure

For complex edits, the AI may show you the document structure:

Paragraph 0: "Introduction" [Heading1, Bold]
Paragraph 1: "This document describes..." [Normal]
Paragraph 2: "Key findings include:" [Normal]

This helps when you need to reference specific paragraphs.

Styles & Consistency

Use Headings for Structure

Apply Heading 1/2/3 to create a clean outline and make navigation easier.

Global Formatting Changes

Ask the AI to enforce a consistent style:

Use 12pt Times New Roman throughout.
Make all headings dark blue and bold.
Increase spacing after headings.

Supported Formatting

Text Formatting

• Bold / Italic / Underline / Strikethrough
• Font family (Arial, Times New Roman, etc.)
• Font size (8pt to 72pt+)
• Text color (any hex color)
• Highlight/background color

Paragraph Formatting

• Alignment: left, center, right, justify
• Spacing: before and after paragraphs
• Indentation
• Line height

Styles

• Heading 1, 2, 3
• Title
• Normal
• Custom styles from the original document

Tables

• View table content
• Edit cell text
• Basic table structure preserved

Exporting

Save as DOCX

Your changes save back to the original .docx format with formatting preserved.

Cmd + S or File → Save

Export to PDF

Generate a PDF from your DOCX:

1. File → Export → PDF
2. Choose destination
3. PDF is created

Working with Tables & Images

Tables

• Edit cell text directly
• Preserve row and column structure
• Use the AI to clean up formatting

Images

Images embedded in the document are preserved. If you need to change sizing or layout, use the toolbar or request a targeted AI edit.

Limitations

What Works Well

• Opening any standard .docx file
• Basic text formatting (bold, italic, fonts, colors)
• Heading styles
• Lists (bulleted and numbered)
• Simple tables
• Paragraph spacing and alignment

What May Need Manual Adjustment

• Complex nested tables
• Headers and footers (viewable but limited editing)
• Track changes / comments (not supported)
• Embedded objects (charts, SmartArt)
• Complex custom styles
• Password-protected documents

When to Use Word

If you need advanced Word features (mail merge, track changes, complex page layouts), we recommend:

1. Do your initial writing in Nebula Writer
2. Export to .docx
3. Finalize in Microsoft Word

Troubleshooting

Formatting Looks Off

• Confirm the correct style is applied (Heading vs Normal)
• Ask the AI: "Normalize formatting in this section"
• Export to PDF to verify the final output

Large Files

For very large DOCX files, consider splitting into sections or work on one chapter at a time.

Tips

Let the AI Handle Formatting

Instead of clicking through menus:

Make the first paragraph bold
Center all the headings
Change the font to Arial throughout

Use Search and Replace

Replace all instances of "2023" with "2024"
Change "Dr." to "Doctor" everywhere

Check the Diff

AI edits to DOCX files show a diff with formatting markers like [B] for bold. This is normal — it shows the system is preserving your formatting.

Original File Safety

The original file isn't modified until you save. If something goes wrong, close without saving.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Steps

• Review Core Concepts for file workflows
• See Reference for shortcuts and formats