How To Create And Edit Microsoft Word Documents Online

Once upon a time, editing a Word document – or any text file for that matter – online was quite the painstaking process, that often led to using a subscription-based platform.

Now though – or for the last few years, to be precise -, a wide range of practical free options are available, some of which have been developed by major tech companies. In this tutorial, we are going to be taking a look at three of the best online doc editors.

Option #1: Word Online

The most suitable platform for editing a Word document is obviously Microsoft Word. Besides the computer application, the company has made the platform available online, under the umbrella of its OneDrive cloud platform.

To be able to upload end edit a Word document on Word Online simply:

Go to OneDrive.com and sign in to your Microsoft account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free in a matter of minutes.
Make sure you are in the Files tab, and from there select the ‘Upload’ option
Locate the doc you wish to edit and double-click on it
Wait for a few seconds for the file to be uploaded
Once the upload is completed, the file will appear on your OneDrive dashboard. Click on it.
You will be automatically redirected to Word Online

The user interface of Word Online is almost identical to the actual Word program. It should be noted here that while the online version does support a slew of Word features, some of the more special ones, such as embedding objects or chart data, are not available. If you wish to open a blank word document, just click on ‘New’ and from the options available select ‘Word document’.

So, if you are planning on editing a research paper, or anything that goes beyond some basic document editing, you should consider purchasing the program itself.

Method #2: Google Docs

Another equally effective option, with a rich variety of editing options, is Google Docs.

Go to docs.google.com and log in using your Google account
In the ‘Start new document’ menu located on the top of the page, click on the ‘Blank’ option
Click on ‘File’ and then ‘Open’. Alternatively, press Ctrl+O.
Locate the doc you wish to edit and double-click on it
Start editing away

Docs can easily qualify as a competitor to Word Online, as it offers all the tricks and treats that the latter has, as well as some of the ones that are only available on the paid version of Word.

Another great feature that Google Docs comes with is offline saving. In the unlucky, yet likely, event that your connection is lost, you can keep typing away, as your progress will be stored on the web. A copy of the document will also be synced down to the Google Drive folder on your computer, smartphone or tablet – provided that they are connected to that particular Google account and you have enabled Syncing.

Furthermore, you can also check out the Add-ons option, where users can download and integrate into Docs a bunch of extra tools (i.e. voice commands, translation etc.).

Method #3: Zoho Writer

Finally, if you don’t wish to have an account with either of the two companies, you can always use Zoho’s document processing platform.

Visit Zoho.com/writer
Sign up via your email or any of your social media accounts, if you are using any
Click on ‘New Blank Document’
Click on the ‘File’ located in the top left-hand corner
Select ‘Import Document’
Find and upload the doc file you wish to edit

Zoho Writer accommodates all the features that one can find on both Docs and Word Online. Simply click on the hamburger menu, located in the top left-hand corner, for the editing menu to emerge. This is where all the editing tools are available.

Much like Docs and Word Online, you can have other friends or colleagues that use the platform view, edit or comment on the document. Another cool addition not available on the other platforms is the ‘Distribution’ option. From there, you can instantly upload the document to your WordPress blog.