docx
The docx module creates, reads and writes Microsoft Office Word 2007 docx files
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is abandoned (last update 2014, archived repository), has high install friction (tarball only, external build dependencies), and offers no Python version guarantee for modern environments. For new projects, use python-docx (the actively maintained fork) or another current library. Only consider this version if you have legacy code already depending on it and cannot migrate.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires lxml and PIL (Pillow) system dependencies; no Python version constraint specified in metadata, so compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
- High install friction: the package distribution is a bare tarball with no wheel, and the project has been abandoned since 2015 with no maintenance activity for many years.
- Dependency on lxml and PIL adds system-level build requirements.
License · maintenance · safety
UNKNOWN (unclear) — License treatment is unclear; the description mentions MIT licensing but the metadata shows 'UNKNOWN'. Verify the actual license terms before relying on this package in a commercial or copyleft-sensitive context.
last release 2014-02-06 (4572 days) · last repo commit 2015-09-04 · 1,075 stars · archived
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 381,350 downloads/mo, #7,096 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install docx
from docx import Document
doc = Document()
doc.add_paragraph('Hello, World!')
doc.save('output.docx')- Actual Python version compatibility—metadata specifies no minimum or maximum, and the project has not been updated since 2015.
- Whether lxml and PIL are truly required at runtime or only for certain features (image handling).
- Current state of the MIT license claim given the 'UNKNOWN' metadata tag.
What it is and what it does
The docx module is a pure-Python library for creating, reading, and editing Microsoft Word 2007 docx files without requiring Office or COM automation. It can generate documents with paragraphs, bullets, numbered lists, headings, tables, page breaks, and images, and can parse existing docx files to extract text, search and replace content, and run XPath queries on document structure.
The project was last updated in 2014 and is now archived. While it has moderate download volume, its abandonment means no bug fixes, security updates, or compatibility improvements for modern Python versions. The install friction is high due to tarball-only distribution and external dependencies (lxml, PIL). Use only if you need legacy docx support in an older codebase; for new projects, consider actively maintained alternatives.
Use it for
- Generate Word documents programmatically from Python scripts or web applications without Office installed.
- Extract plain text from existing docx files for indexing, analysis, or migration to other formats.
- Automate document creation with dynamic content like reports, invoices, or mail-merge templates.
- Parse user-completed Word document templates using XPath queries to extract structured data.
- Modify existing docx files by adding, deleting, or replacing content at specific locations.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is abandoned (last update 2014, archived repository), has high install friction (tarball only, external build dependencies), and offers no Python version guarantee for modern environments. For new projects, use python-docx (the actively maintained fork) or another current library. Only consider this version if you have legacy code already depending on it and cannot migrate.
Install
docx on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction: the package distribution is a bare tarball with no wheel, and the project has been abandoned since 2015 with no maintenance activity for many years. Dependency on lxml and PIL adds system-level build requirements.
Requires lxml and PIL (Pillow) system dependencies; no Python version constraint specified in metadata, so compatibility with modern Python versions is unverified.
License in practice
License treatment is unclear; the description mentions MIT licensing but the metadata shows 'UNKNOWN'. Verify the actual license terms before relying on this package in a commercial or copyleft-sensitive context.
Quickstart
pip install docx
from docx import Document
doc = Document()
doc.add_paragraph('Hello, World!')
doc.save('output.docx')Verify before relying
- Actual Python version compatibility—metadata specifies no minimum or maximum, and the project has not been updated since 2015.
- Whether lxml and PIL are truly required at runtime or only for certain features (image handling).
- Current state of the MIT license claim given the 'UNKNOWN' metadata tag.
Package facts
| License | UNKNOWN unclear |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 4,572 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | repository archived |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 381,350 / month, #7,096 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: docx-0.2.4.tar.gz
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See also docxtpl · python-didl-lite · python-docx · python-docx-ml6 · python-hwpx · docxcompose · docx2python · pyhwpx · htmldocx