How does Zoho Docs handle MS Office files after the preview release ?

How does Zoho Docs handle MS Office files after the preview release ?

We released a new enhanced version of file previews later this week. Read about this here. 

In this post, let me address how we will handle editing of MS Office files after this release. 

There has been a change in the way you edit MS Office files using our Zoho Office editors. When you upload an MS Office file in Zoho Docs, you'll see a check box that says 'Convert documents to the corresponding Zoho Docs format'. 



If you check this option, we'll convert your MS Office files be it DOCX, XLSX, PPTX or any old format into our own Zoho Office editor formats. Once converted, if you open such files, they'll always open in our Zoho Office editors. This will allow you to share and collaborate with your colleagues and friends in real-time. 

If you choose to uncheck this option, this basically means you want to retain the original format that you upload. In that case, we'll only allow you to preview such files using our new preview UI. You will not be able to edit them using our Office editors. You can still share the files with your colleagues in Read/Write mode. Your colleagues can upload a new version of the same file after editing it in MS Office. 

Previously, if you uncheck this option, we opened and saved back as MS Office files itself. So why did we change it ?
 
Docs will retain the original format of the file. 

If you wish to edit MS Office files using our Zoho Office editors, you can convert them to our editor format and continue to edit. But in doing so, we'll only create a copy and not touch your originally uploaded MS Office file. This has several advantages. Zoho Docs being a file storage service, it shouldn't change/alter the file that you upload to Docs. In keeping with this principle, you can now confidently upload any file to Docs. We'll have the original format intact for the lifetime of the file. 

For now, only the authors who own or created the file can do the conversion to our editor formats. Moreover, you still have to re-share the file to your colleagues. Because the new file will not retain the sharing permissions of the originally uploaded files. We'll see how we can improve this behavior. 

We believe this change will only help you to upload all your files much more confidently than ever before. We also believe that as you start using Docs, you'll eventually start using our powerful Office editors - Writer, Sheet and Show - all of which have seen major upgrades over the last year or so. The editors have become very matured that most of your Office productivity needs can be met by our editors comfortably and effortlessly. 

If you have any queries regarding this change or anything related to our file previews, write to us at support@zohodocs.com or post a reply to this thread. We are always here to help you with anything you need. 

    • Sticky Posts

    • Zoho Docs EOL extended to March 15, 2023. Migrate to WorkDrive now!

      Update: Zoho Docs access will be blocked for all users. Read this official post to know more. Most Zoho Docs individual and org users (including Workplace and Zoho One users) have already migrated their data and users to Zoho WorkDrive in response to

    • Live Webinar - Drive your team towards tighter collaboration

      Any project, big or small, involves a lot of planning, strategizing, scheduling, and budgeting. However, how your team executes the project really makes it a success. That's why teams need to work closer, stay dynamic, and be ready when they're needed.    However skilful your team might be, a collaboration platform can make them even more efficient and productive.    With organizations expanding globally, it's not only a challenge for teams to work together, but all to stay on the same page.    To

    • Live Webinar: Collaboration Made Simple with Our Brand New Tool

      Creating successful work groups when a team is geographically dispersed can be quite challenging. The process of keeping work and tasks in order becomes difficult and collaboration between team members can go haywire.  As a result, companies have shifted the way in which teams traditionally manage and organize their work. More organizations now want an exclusive, convenient place to work together, one that’s accessible by both internal and external collaborators.  That is why we have developed a

    • Live Webinar - Go 'Pro Team' With Our New Productivity Tool

      Is your team forced to keep switching between apps to get work done? Does it take everyone longer to complete their tasks?    Join us for a webinar on Thursday, May 17, 2018  to learn about our new product that'll transform the way you work and collaborate with teams across your organization - whether they are in the next room or even miles away.  Teams are dynamic and they require tools that are flexible enough to cope with the ever-changing environment. But working with your colleagues doesn't

    • Live Webinar - Make the Most of your Team Collaboration

      Do you have a collaborative team that's constantly looking for better ways to optimize productivity, connect with each other, and have better tools to share files? Well, look no further.   The Zoho Docs team has something big in store for you and your team. Join us on  Tuesday, April 17, 2018  to learn how to keep all your team files in one place, and turn you and your colleagues into productivity superstars! You'll also get a sneak peek at a new product that will help you:  Organize your team's

    • Recent Topics

    • Unlocking New Levels: Zoho Payroll's Journey in 2025

      Every year brings its own set of challenges and opportunities to rethink how payroll works across regulations and teams. In 2025, Zoho Payroll continued to evolve with one clear focus: giving businesses more flexibility, clarity, and control as they grow.

    • CRM project association via deluge

      I have created a workflow in my Zoho CRM for closing a deal. Part of this workflow leverages a deluge script to create a project for our delivery team. Creating the project works great however, after or during the project creation, I would like to associate

    • Zoho Browser??

      hai guys, this sounds awkward but can v get a ZOHO BROWSER same as zoho writer, etc. where i can browse websites @ home and continue browsing the same websites @ my office, as v have the option in Firefox, once i save and close the browser and again when i open it i will be getting the same sites. If u people r not clear with my explanation, plz let me know. Thanks, Sandeep  

    • Sync desktop folders instantly with WorkDrive TrueSync (Beta)

      Keeping your important files backed up and accessible has never been easier! With WorkDrive desktop app (TrueSync), you can now automatically sync specific desktop folders to WorkDrive Web, ensuring seamless, real-time updates across devices. Important:

    • MCP no longer works with Claude

      Anyone else notice Zoho MCP no longer works with Claude? I'm unable to turn this on in the claude chat. When I try to toggle it on, it just does nothing at all. I've tried in incognito, new browsers, etc. - nothing seems to work.

    • Enable History Tracking for Picklist Values Not Available

      When I create a custom picklist field in Deals, the "Enable History Tracking for Picklist Values" option is not available in the Edit Properties area of the picklist. When I create a picklist in any other Module, that option is available. Is there a specific reason why this isn't available for fields in the Deals Module?

    • The reason I switched away from Zoho Notebook

      My main reason for switching to Zoho was driven by three core principles: moving away from US-based products, keeping my data within India as much as possible, and supporting Indian companies. With that intent, I’ve been actively de-Googling my digital

    • Add RTL and Hebrew Support for Candidate Portal (and Other Zoho Recruit Portals)

      Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to set the Candidate Portal to be Right-to-Left (RTL) and in Hebrew, similar to the existing functionality for the Career Site. Currently, when we set the Career Site

    • Ability to Edit YouTube Video Title, Description & Thumbnail After Publishing

      Hi Zoho Social Team, How are you? We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Social that enables users to edit YouTube video details after the video has already been published. Your team confirmed that while Zoho Social currently allows editing the

    • Free Webinar : Unlock AI driven business insights with Zoho Inventory + Zoho Analytics

      Are you tired of switching between apps and exporting data to build customized reports? Say hello to smarter & streamlined insights! Join us for this exclusive webinar where we explore the power of the Zoho Inventory–Zoho Analytics integration. Learn

    • Critical Issue: Tickets Opened for Zoho Support via the Zoho Help Portal Were Not Processed

      Hi everyone, We want to bring to your attention a serious issue we’ve experienced with the Zoho support Help Portal. For more than a week, tickets submitted directly via the Help Portal were not being handled at all. At the same time no alert was posted

    • Hide/Show Subform Fields On User Input

      Hello, Are there any future updates in Hide/Show Subform Fields "On User Input"?

    • Cloning Item With Images Or The Option With Images

      Hello, when I clone an item, I expect the images to carry over to the cloned item, however this is not the case in Inventory. Please make it possible for the images to get cloned or at least can we get a pop up asking if we want to clone the images as

    • Archiving Contacts

      How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?

    • Custom validation in CRM schema

      Validation rules in CRM layouts work nicely, good docs by @Kiran Karthik P https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/customize-crm-account/validation-rules/articles/create-validation-rules I'd prefer validating data input 'closer to the schema'

    • Adding Default Module Image into mail merge field

      As with most people finding their way to these forums i have a specific requirement that doesn't seem to be supported by Zoho I have created 2 custom modules to suit my purpose 1 is an inventory type module that lists aluminium extrusions, and all relevant

    • Sync Data from MA to CRM

      Currently, it's a one-way sync of data from the CRM to MA. I believe we should have the ability to select fields to sync from MA to the CRM. The lead score is a perfect example of this. In an ideal world we would be able to impact the lead score of a

    • Is it possible to roll up all Contact emails to the Account view?

      Is there a way to track all emails associated with an Account in one single view? Currently, email history is visible when opening an individual Contact record. However, since multiple Contacts are often associated with a single Account, it would be beneficial

    • Update CRM record action

      Currently, MA only offers a "Push Data" action to push data to a CRM module. This action is built to cover the need to both create a new record and update an existing record. Because it has been implemented this way all required fields on the CRM module

    • Notes badge as a quick action in the list view

      Hello all, We are introducing the Notes badge in the list view of all modules as a quick action you can perform for each record, in addition to the existing Activity badge. With this enhancement, users will have quick visibility into the notes associated

    • Free Training - Explore What’s New in Zoho One 2025

      Greetings! We hope you have all had a chance by now to get hands-on with the new features and updates released as part of ZO25. Yes, we understand that you may have questions and feedback. To ensure you gain a comprehensive understanding of these updates,

    • Good news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift

      Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activities

    • Edit default "We are here to help you" text in chat SalesIQ widget

      Does anyone know how this text can be edited? I can't find it anywhere in settings. Thanks!

    • Quick way to add a field in Chat Window

      I want to add Company Field in chat window to lessen the irrelevant users in sending chat and set them in mind that we are dealing with companies. I request that it will be as easy as possible like just ticking it then typing the label then connecting

    • How to create a two way Sync with CRM Contacts Module?

      Newbie creator here (but not to Zoho CRM). I want to create an app that operates on a sub-set of CRM Contacts - only those with a specific tag. I want the app records to mirror the tagged contacts in CRM. I would like it to update when the Creator app

    • Zoho Sheet for Desktop

      Does Zoho plans to develop a Desktop version of Sheet that installs on the computer like was done with Writer?

    • Where is the settings option in zoho writer?

      hi, my zoho writer on windows has menu fonts too large. where do i find the settings to change this option? my screen resolution is correct and other apps/softwares in windows have no issues. regards

    • How to set page defaults in zoho writer?

      hi, everytime i open the zoho writer i have to change the default page settings to - A4 from letter, margins to narrow and header and footer to 0. I cannot set this as default as that option is grayed out! so I am unable to click it. I saved the document

    • Develop and publish a Zoho Recruit extension on the marketplace

      Hi, I'd like to develop a new extension for Zoho Recruit. I've started to use Zoho Developers creating a Zoho CRM extension. But when I try to create a new extension here https://sigma.zoho.com/workspace/testtesttestest/apps/new I d'ont see the option of Zoho Recruit (only CRM, Desk, Projects...). I do see extensions for Zoho Recruit in the marketplace. How would I go about to create one if the option is not available in sigma ? Cheers, Rémi.

    • How to import data from PDF into Zoho Sheet

      I am looking to import Consolidated Account Statement (https://www.camsonline.com/Investors/Statements/Consolidated-Account-Statement) into zoho sheet. Any help is appreciated. The pdf is received as attachment in the email, this document is password

    • Zoho Projects Android app: Integration with Microsoft Intune

      Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce that Zoho Projects now integrates with Microsoft Intune, enabling enhanced security and enterprise app management. We have now added support for Microsoft Intune Mobile Application Management (MAM) policies through

    • Cant't update custom field when custom field is external lookup in Zoho Books

      Hello I use that : po = zoho.books.updateRecord("purchaseorders",XXXX,purchaseorder_id,updateCustomFieldseMap,"el_books_connection"); c_f_Map2 = Map(); c_f_Map2.put("label","EL ORDER ID"); c_f_Map2.put("value",el_order_id); c_f_List.add(c_f_Map2); updateCustomFieldseMap

    • About Zoneminder (CCTV) and Zoho People

      Hi team I would like to implement a CCTV service for our branches, with the aim of passively detecting both the entry and exit of personnel enrolled in Zoho Peeple, but my question is: It is possible to integrate Zoho People with Zoneminder, I understand

    • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

      Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,

    • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

      I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted

    • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

      Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?

    • Admin asked me for Backend Details when I wanted to verify my ZeptoMail Account

      Please provide the backend details where you will be adding the SMTP/API information of ZeptoMail Who knows what this means?

    • Kaizen #223 - File Manager in CRM Widget Using ZRC Methods

      Hello, CRM Wizards! Here is what we are improving this week with Kaizen. we will explore the new ZRC (Zoho Request Client) introduced in Widget SDK v1.5, and learn how to use it to build a Related List Widget that integrates with Zoho WorkDrive. It helps

    • Set connection link name from variable in invokeurl

      Hi, guys. How to set in parameter "connection" a variable, instead of a string. connectionLinkName = manager.get('connectionLinkName').toString(); response = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.googleapis.com/calendar/v3/freeBusy" type :POST parameters:requestParams.toString()

    • Possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox with Zoho Creator's Sandbox?

      We are making some big changes on our CRM so we are testing it out in CRM's Sandbox. We also have a Zoho Creator app that we need to test. Is it possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox to Zoho Creator's Sandbox so that I can perform those tests?

    • Next Page