Word to PDF

Word to PDF

Type: word-to-pdf  ·  Package: Word Activities v1.0.4  ·  Output: string

Converts a Word document to PDF: the letter, contract or minutes you just generated, ready to send or archive without anyone being able to edit it. It accepts .docx, .doc, .rtf and .odt, and returns the path of the generated PDF.

Requires a conversion program

Unlike the rest of the package, this activity does need a program installed on the machine where the robot runs: LibreOffice (recommended, free) or Microsoft Word. Without either of them, the activity fails.

How it works

1. Takes the document at path and decides where to save the PDF: at outputPath or, if you omit it, in the same folder and with the same name as the document, with a .pdf extension. Relative paths are resolved against the robot’s working folder.
2. Converts with the engine set in engine. With auto (default) it tries LibreOffice first and, if it is missing or fails, Microsoft Word.
3. Returns the full path of the PDF.

If a PDF already exists at the target path, it is overwritten. Missing folders are created. The original document is not changed.

• LibreOffice runs in the background, with no windows, using its own temporary profile: it works even if LibreOffice is open on the machine. Available on Windows and Linux.
• Microsoft Word opens hidden, exports the PDF and closes without saving changes to the document. Windows only.
• The activity waits for the conversion to finish; it has no timeout of its own (it honors the run’s cancellation).

Required parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
path	string	—	Path of the document to convert (.docx, .doc, .rtf, .odt).

Optional parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
outputPath	string	—	Target .pdf path. If omitted: the same folder and name as the document with a .pdf extension.
engine	string	"auto"	Conversion engine: auto · libreoffice · word. auto tries LibreOffice and then Microsoft Word; any other value is treated as auto.

Output

Returns a string with the full path of the generated PDF.

Example

Fill in a letter from a template and convert it to PDF:

Copy File             source = asset("letter_template.docx")   destination = "C:/letters/900123456.docx"   overwrite = true
Word Find & Replace   path = "C:/letters/900123456.docx"   find = "{NAME}"   replace = customer.name
Word to PDF           path = "C:/letters/900123456.docx"   → output: pdfPath
Log                   message = "PDF ready at " + pdfPath

Generate a new document and save the PDF to another folder:

Word Create   path = "C:/minutes/committee.docx"
 └─ body:
      Word Append Paragraph   text = "Committee minutes"   style = Title
      Word Append Table       table = attendees
Word to PDF   path = "C:/minutes/committee.docx"   outputPath = "C:/minutes/pdf/committee.pdf"   → output: pdfPath

It converts the file saved on disk

The activity works on the file, not on an open session. Convert it after the document has been saved: when the Word Create body ends, or after Word Save if you work without body.

Where does it look for LibreOffice?

In the ZOAN_SOFFICE_PATH environment variable (if you set it to the soffice path), in the usual install folders (C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\, /usr/bin/soffice) and in the system PATH. A normal LibreOffice installation is found automatically.

Common errors

When no engine manages to convert, the message is Could not convert the document to PDF. followed by the reason from each engine tried, separated by |:

Message	Cause and fix
File not found.	The path does not exist on the machine where the robot runs.
'path' is required.	path is missing or the expression returned nothing.
LibreOffice: 'soffice' not found (install LibreOffice or set ZOAN_SOFFICE_PATH).	LibreOffice is not installed or not where it is looked for. Install it or set ZOAN_SOFFICE_PATH.
LibreOffice: LibreOffice could not convert the document (exit …)	LibreOffice could not open or convert the file (damaged, password-protected). Open it by hand to check it.
Word: Microsoft Word is not installed.	Conversion with Word was attempted and it is not installed.
Word: COM automation requires Windows.	The word engine only works on Windows. On other systems, use LibreOffice.

Related activities

• Word Create / Word Save — generate and save the document before converting.
• Excel to PDF — the same for Excel workbooks.
• PDF — work with the generated PDF.