---
id: docxcompose
version: "2.2.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# docxcompose — Compose .docx documents

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.6M/mo

## What it is and what it does

docxcompose is a Python library that merges multiple .docx files into a single document. It wraps the lower-level python-docx library to handle the composition logic, using lxml for XML manipulation and babel for internationalization support. The library provides both a Python API (via the Composer class) and a command-line tool for batch operations, plus an optional Docker-based web service for remote composition.

The main use case is combining Word documents programmatically—for example, assembling reports from template sections, merging user-generated content into a master document, or building composite documents from modular parts. By default it applies the master document's styles to appended content for visual consistency, though you can preserve the original styles of each appended document if needed. Headers and footers from the first document are retained throughout the merged file.

Use it for:

- Assemble multi-section reports by appending chapter or section documents to a master template.
- Merge user-submitted Word documents into a single compiled output for distribution or archival.
- Batch-process docx files from the command line or web service without writing Python code.
- Build composite documents from modular content while maintaining consistent styling from a template.
- Automate document composition in a server or CI/CD pipeline via the Docker container.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Concatenates and merges multiple Microsoft Word (.docx) files into a single document, with options to preserve or normalize styles across the merged content.

Yes. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with low friction, and solves a concrete problem (docx merging) that the standard python-docx library does not directly address. The permissive MIT license poses no restrictions. Install it if you need to programmatically combine Word documents.

## Install

pip install docxcompose
uv add docxcompose
poetry add docxcompose

## Installing docxcompose

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with three lightweight runtime dependencies (babel, lxml, python-docx). Active maintenance with a release within the last 73 days.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) — you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install docxcompose

from docxcompose.composer import Composer
from docx import Document

master = Document("master.docx")
composer = Composer(master)
doc1 = Document("doc1.docx")
composer.append(doc1)
composer.save("combined.docx")

Verify before relying:

- Whether style preservation handles complex formatting (tables, images, embedded objects) correctly in all cases.
- Performance characteristics when merging very large documents or many files in sequence.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.6M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

merge docx files, combine word documents, concatenate docx, word document composition, docx file joining, append word files, docx concatenation library, document-composition, word-automation

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