Convert XSN to DOC

An .xsn file is an InfoPath form template, while .doc is an editable Word document. The conversion is needed when a legacy InfoPath form must be shared with someone who lacks InfoPath or submitted to a system that accepts only the older Word format.

What the XSN format is

XSN is the Microsoft InfoPath form-template format. It packages the form layout, XML schema, controls, validation rules, data connections, scripts, views, and supporting resources. InfoPath Designer creates and edits XSN templates; the package is not itself a completed form or a normal word-processing document.

XSN files are found in older SharePoint workflows, business questionnaires, government forms, and archived Office applications. Microsoft discontinued InfoPath, and current Microsoft 365 applications do not generally open or edit XSN files. An existing compatible installation of InfoPath Designer is normally required to render or modify the template. To convert a completed form, the template must first be published or opened in an InfoPath-compatible environment and filled out; an XSN alone contains no completed responses.

What the DOC format is

DOC is the binary Microsoft Word 97–2003 document format. It stores editable text, tables, images, headers, footers, and page layouts, and remains useful when an older application or document-management system explicitly requires .doc.

DOC is different from the newer XML-based .docx format. DOC has weaker support for modern accessibility, layout, and interactive-form features, so use DOCX when the recipient accepts it.

How to convert XSN to DOC

There is no reliable native XSN-to-DOC conversion because XSN contains InfoPath form logic rather than Word document content. Convert the rendered form, not the files inside the XSN package.

1. Open the template in an existing compatible version of Microsoft InfoPath Designer. If you need a completed document, publish or deploy the template to the required InfoPath location, open the resulting form in InfoPath Filler or its compatible runtime, and enter the responses. InfoPath Filler normally opens form instances, not the raw XSN template.
2. Show every section that must appear in the output. Conditional sections that remain hidden, and data that has not been entered, will not appear in the rendered document.
3. Use File → Print and select Microsoft Print to PDF or another PDF printer. Choose the required pages, orientation, and paper size, then save the result as form.pdf.
4. Open form.pdf in desktop Microsoft Word with File → Open. Word will convert the PDF into editable content. Use File → Save As → Word 97–2003 Document (*.doc) and save the result as form.doc.

If the InfoPath installation provides an Export to Web or Single File Web Page command, it can produce an MHTML file such as form.mht. Open that file in Word and use Save As → Word 97–2003 Document (*.doc). This alternative exports the visible page and may preserve simple text and images, but it does not preserve InfoPath controls or behavior; command names vary between InfoPath releases. PDF printing is generally more predictable for page layout.

Adobe Acrobat Pro offers another PDF route: open the PDF, choose Export a PDF → Microsoft Word → Word 97–2003 Document, and save the exported file. Online PDF-to-Word services, including Adobe Acrobat online, can process the intermediate PDF, but they generally do not accept XSN directly. Do not upload confidential forms, personal data, or signed records unless the service is approved for that information.

Quality and compatibility limitations

This produces a rendered Word document, not a native InfoPath form. The DOC does not retain InfoPath validation, calculations, data connections, scripts, repeating-section behavior, digital signatures, workflow integration, or editable InfoPath controls.

PDF-to-DOC conversion can change fonts, line wrapping, page breaks, tables, checkbox symbols, field alignment, embedded images, and text in repeating regions. Review the DOC against the PDF and the original form, especially when the template uses conditional pages, complex tables, handwriting areas, or signatures. A scanned PDF may require OCR and usually needs more manual correction.

If the recipient accepts .docx, save as DOCX instead of DOC for better layout, accessibility, and compatibility with current Word versions. If the recipient needs only a faithful, non-editable copy, keep the PDF rather than converting it to DOC.