What happens when I save a document as a Web page?

Some formatting that you can use in Microsoft Word may be unsupported by some Web browsers. When you save a Word document as a Web page, Word removes unsupported formatting and applies formatting that Web browsers support.

You can create Web pages that use formatting supported only by specific browsers.

How?

Use this feature if you only want to use Microsoft Word features that are compatible with specific Web browsers.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
Click Web Options, and then click the Browsers tab.
Select or clear the Disable features not supported by these browsers check box.
In the People who view this Web page will be using box, choose your browser.

Features that are unsupported in Web browsers

Table formatting

This formatting in Word	Looks like this in a Web browser
Automatically resize to fit contents is turned off	Automatically resize to fit contents is turned on, on Web pages.
Absolute row height	At least row height on Web pages.
Diagonal cell border	No diagonal cell border
Decorative cell border	Box border style

Vertical text direction	Horizontal text direction

Character formatting

Rest your mouse pointer over a picture in the category for a text description.

This formatting in Word	Looks like this in a Web browser







	Shadow text becomes bold text on Web pages.
	All underline styles becomes single underlines on Web pages.
	Horizontally-scaled characters become regular text on Web pages.
	For browsers earlier than Internet Explorer 6, raised text will become superscript and lowered text will become subscript.
	Underline color becomes the same as the text color.
	Small caps become ALL CAPS.
Kerned text	Kerned text becomes regular text on Web pages.

Paragraph formatting

Rest your mouse pointer over a picture in the category for a text description.

This formatting in Word	Looks like this in a Web browser

At least line height	At least line height becomes Exactly on Web pages.
Decorative border styles	Box border style

Page layout

Rest your mouse pointer over a picture in the category for a text description.

This formatting in Word	Looks like this in a Web browser



Headers and footers	Headers and footers are removed.
	Footnotes are moved to the end of the document.


Tabs	Tabs may not align correctly on Web pages.

Graphic formatting

This formatting in Microsoft Word	Looks like this in a Web browser
Floating graphic	Floating graphic becomes right or left aligned with wrapping on Web pages.
Pictures and objects with top and bottom wrapping	Pictures and objects with top and bottom wrapping may shift upward in the document.

Security and document protection

Digital signatures: Digital signatures are lost.
Password protection: Password is lost on Web pages.
Document protection (for example, for tracked changes or comments): Password is lost on Web pages.
Read-only recommended: Read-only recommended is lost.

Asian text formatting

Combined Characters: Combined Characters become regular text on Web pages.
Enclosed Characters: Enclosed Characters become regular text on Web pages.
Horizontal in Vertical: Horizontal in Vertical becomes horizontal text on Web pages.
Phonetic Guide: Phonetic Guide becomes regular text on Web pages (Internet Explorer 4.0 only).
Two Lines in One: Two Lines in One becomes one regular line on Web pages.
Emphasis characters: Emphasis characters are removed and text is underlined.
Document Grid (vertical and horizontal): Document Grid (vertical and horizontal) becomes regular text on Web pages (Internet Explorer 4.0 only).
Compress leading punctuation: Compress leading punctuation becomes full width on Web pages.
Hanging punctuation: Hanging punctuation is removed. Last word in line wraps to the next line on Web pages.
First and last line breaks control characters: Line breaks do not respect these character settings on Web pages.
Distributed text: Distributed text is ignored on Web pages.

Other items

Versioning: Document versioning is lost. Web pages do not support versioning.
Track changes: If a double underline is used for insertions, it is changed to a single underline.
Word retains the tracked changes and comments. How the tracked changes and comments are displayed depends on your browser. In Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, the revised text is highlighted with color, underlining, and strikethrough formatting and comments are shown as dynamic ScreenTips. In browsers earlier than Internet Explorer 4.0, the comments appear as footnotes beneath the main Web page.
Smart tags: Overlapping smart tags are lost.