To download a Word document to your computer, open it in Word for the web and select File > Create a Copy > Download a copy. The file goes to your browser’s download location, normally Downloads. For a document in email or cloud storage, use the download or save command beside the file.
The short version
- Word in your browser: Select File > Create a Copy > Download a copy.
- Email attachments: Open the message and use the attachment’s download or save command.
- Desktop Word: Use Save As or Save a Copy and choose a local folder.
- Google Docs: Select File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).
- Restricted files: Ask the owner for a downloadable copy when sharing restrictions block downloading.
| Where your document is | Command to use | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Word for the web | File > Create a Copy > Download a copy | A downloaded copy |
| OneDrive or SharePoint website | Download | The selected file or files |
| Microsoft Teams | More actions > Download | A downloaded file |
| Gmail | Attachment’s Download button | A saved attachment |
| New Outlook or Outlook web | Download or Download all | One or all attachments |
| Classic Outlook for Windows | Save As or Save All Attachments | Attachments in a local folder |
| Apple Mail | File > Save Attachments | Attachments in your chosen folder |
| Word desktop for Windows | Save As or Save a Copy | A locally saved document |
| Word desktop for Mac | File > Save as | A locally saved document |
| Google Drive website | Download | The existing Word file |
| Google Docs | File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx) | A Word-format copy |
| iCloud Drive website | Download | The selected file or files |
| Dropbox website | Download | The selected file or folder |
| Pages for iCloud | More > Download a Copy > Word | A converted Word file |
| Pages on Mac | Share > Export and Send > Word | A local Word-format export |
| A direct file link in Chrome | Save link as | The linked Word file |
| A direct file link in Safari | Download Linked File | The linked Word file |
| OneDrive folder on Windows or Mac | Always keep on this device | A file retained for offline use |
| Google Drive for desktop on Windows | Offline Access > Available offline | A streamed Word file available offline |
| Google Drive for desktop on Mac | Available offline | A streamed Word file available offline |
| Dropbox desktop | Make available offline | A file retained for offline use |
| iCloud Drive in Finder | Keep Downloaded | A file retained on your Mac |
Download from Word OneDrive or Teams
With your document open in Word for the web, select File, choose Create a Copy, then select Download a copy. Look in your browser’s download location for the file, normally Downloads. This works with personal, work, or school accounts when you have download permission.
From the OneDrive website, you can download the document without opening Word. Hover over the file, select Show more actions for this item, represented by three dots, and choose Download. You can also select the file in the list and choose Download in the top navigation, or right-click it and select Download. You can't download directly from the Shared view; for a file there, open it and save a copy in the location you choose.
In OneDrive, SharePoint in Microsoft 365, or SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, you can select several documents before choosing Download. Select Download in the top navigation to get the selection as a .zip file, provided you have download permission.
In Teams desktop or web, open the channel and select Shared, find the document, then select More actions > Download. For a file in Teams’ OneDrive area, select OneDrive, find the document, and use More actions > Download. If Word opens instead, select File > Create a Copy > Download a Copy.
Save a Word attachment from email
In Gmail on your computer, open the message and hover over the attachment at the bottom. Click Download to save the Word file. On supported computers, you can also drag the attachment to your desktop. Gmail does not allow attachment downloads from confidential-mode messages.
For Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, open the message and select More actions beside the attachment, then choose Download. In new Outlook for Windows, open the attachment’s dropdown and select Download. Choose Download all when you want every attachment, then choose a destination when prompted and select Save. You can also drag an attachment from the message to your desktop.
Classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2024 for Windows use different labels. Open the attachment’s dropdown, choose Save As for one file or Save All Attachments for every attachment, then choose a local destination. Dragging the attachment from the message to your desktop is another option.
On a Mac using Apple Mail, select the message and choose File > Save Attachments. Alternatively, hover over the message header, click Attach, and choose the attachment’s name or Save All. Choose a location and click Save. You can also drag the attachment to your desktop.
Save a local copy from desktop Word
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, open your document and select File > Save As. For a document stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, the command may be Save a Copy. Select This PC or Browse, choose a local folder, enter a name in File name, and select Save.
In Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac or Word 2024 for Mac, select File > Save as. If local folders are not displayed, select On My Mac. Choose a folder, enter the filename in Save As, and select Save.
Keyboard shortcuts can open the same save dialog. In Windows Word, press F12; on Mac, press Command + Shift + S. Choose your local destination before saving, and use the menu path if your keyboard handles function keys differently.
Download from Google Drive or Google Docs
For an existing .doc or .docx file on the Google Drive website, select the document, right-click it, and choose Download. To select several files, hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac while selecting additional files. Right-click the selection and choose Download.
To download an open Google Docs document in Word format, select File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx). This creates and downloads a Word-format copy of the document.
Get Word files from iCloud Dropbox or Pages
In iCloud Drive on the web, select your document and click the Download button in the toolbar. You can select multiple documents before clicking it. From the iCloud homepage, you can instead select the document in the Drive tile and choose Download File.
On the Dropbox website, hover over the Word document and select the checkbox beside its filename. Click Download to save it. The same selection method works for a folder.
For a Pages document in Pages for iCloud, select it in the document manager and choose More > Download a Copy, then choose Word. With the document open, the same command is under More. This converts the document to Word format for the download.
In Pages on your Mac, open the document and click Share > Export and Send > Word. Click Save and choose a local location for the exported file.
Download a Word document from a website
In desktop Chrome, click the website’s document download link. You can also right-click a direct link to a .doc or .docx file and select Save link as. Choose a destination when prompted and select Save.
The link must lead to the document itself for that direct-link method. If it opens Word for the web, use File > Create a Copy > Download a copy.
In Safari on Mac, click the document’s download link, or hold Control while clicking a direct file link and choose Download Linked File. You can also hold Option while clicking a link to the file.
Keep a cloud document available offline
With OneDrive Files On-Demand on Windows, open your OneDrive folder in File Explorer and right-click the Word document or its containing folder. Select Always keep on this device, then wait for downloading to finish before disconnecting. Opening an online-only Word document while connected to the internet also downloads its contents and makes it locally available.
On a Mac using the OneDrive File Provider experience, open your OneDrive folder in Finder. Right-click the document or folder and select Always keep on this device to retain offline availability. Opening an online-only document also downloads it.
With Google Drive for desktop using streamed files, open Google Drive in File Explorer on Windows, right-click the Word file, and select Offline Access > Available offline. On Mac, open Google Drive in Finder, right-click the document, and choose Available offline. These steps apply to actual Word files rather than Google Docs shortcuts.
For Dropbox desktop, open your Dropbox folder in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac. Right-click the document or folder and select Make available offline.
On a Mac with iCloud Drive’s Keep Downloaded command, open Finder and select iCloud Drive. Hold Control while clicking the Word document or folder, then choose Keep Downloaded.
Choose where your downloads go
To choose where desktop Chrome saves your document, select More > Settings > Downloads. Select Change to choose the default folder, or turn on Ask where to save each file before downloading. Then return to the document and use its download command.
In desktop Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more > Settings > Downloads. Under Location, select Change and choose a folder. Then use the document’s download command.
For Safari on Mac, choose Safari > Settings > General. Change File download location, then download the document.
In Teams desktop, select Settings and more > Settings > Files and links. Under Downloads > Location, select Change, choose a destination, and select Select Folder. You can also turn on Always ask where to save downloaded file. Teams web does not support this setting, so use your browser’s download settings there.
Resolve blocked downloads
If a OneDrive or SharePoint sharing restriction prevents downloading, ask the owner to provide a downloadable copy or change the restriction. You cannot reverse the owner’s download restriction as a recipient. For a work or school document blocked by an organizational policy, contact your administrator.
Google Drive downloads also require permission from the owner. If downloading is restricted, ask the owner for a downloadable copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to install Microsoft Word to download a document?
No, a browser-only file download does not require the Word desktop app. Installing Word is separate from downloading the document.
Does the ordinary Save shortcut download a cloud document?
In desktop Word for Windows, Ctrl + S or Shift + F12 saves to the document’s existing location. On Mac, Command + S does the same. For an already cloud-based document, these shortcuts do not select a new local destination.
Why did OneDrive download a ZIP file instead of separate Word documents?
OneDrive packages multiple files or folders into a ZIP archive when you download them together. Selecting a folder downloads its contents, so the ZIP can contain the Word documents from that folder.
Can you make Word save to your computer by default?
In current Word desktop for Windows, select File > Options > Save, then select Save to Computer by default. Changing this preference does not download existing cloud documents. Use Save As or Save a Copy to save those locally.