Word Read

Word Read

Reads content from a Word document as HTML (preserves formatting)

Node Type

Action

Category

Microsoft Word

Icon

Eye

Overview

The Word Read node is an action node that reads content from a Microsoft Word document and returns it as formatted HTML. This powerful integration enables you to programmatically extract content from Word documents with preserved formatting, perfect for content analysis, document processing, and workflow-based document management.

Key Features

  • HTML Output: Returns document content as HTML with formatting preserved
  • Rich Formatting Support: Maintains headings, lists, bold/italic text, tables, and more
  • Document Selection: Choose from your OneDrive documents with an integrated picker
  • Content Extraction: Extracts the full document content for processing
  • Microsoft Integration: Seamless integration with Microsoft OneDrive and Word Online
  • OAuth Security: Secure authentication through Microsoft OAuth

Prerequisites

Microsoft Account Connection

Must have a connected Microsoft account with appropriate permissions

Microsoft account connected via OAuth
Files.Read.All scope permissions
Access to Microsoft OneDrive

Document Requirements

Understanding of document access and HTML content requirements

The target document must be accessible through your Microsoft OneDrive
Document must be a valid Word document (.docx)
Clear understanding of what content should be extracted

Technical Requirements

Technical setup and configuration requirements

Microsoft OAuth service properly configured
Internet connectivity for Microsoft Graph API communication
Proper exception handling for API failures and authentication issues

Node Configuration

Required Fields

Document ID

Type:text
Required:Yes
Value Type:string

The ID of the Word document to read from OneDrive. You can select documents from your OneDrive using the integrated file picker.

Examples & Use Cases

Content Analysis Workflow

Extract and analyze document content with AI

Workflow Structure

📄 Word Read → 🤖 LLM Analysis → 📊 Generate Summary → 📧 Email Report

Read Word document content, analyze with AI for key insights, generate a summary, and email to stakeholders.

Document Migration

Convert Word documents to other formats

Workflow Structure

📄 Word Read → 🔄 Process HTML → 📝 Write to Destination → ✅ Confirm

Read Word content as HTML, process and transform, then write to Google Docs, Notion, or other platforms.

Best Practices

Do's

  • Use the OneDrive file picker for easy document selection
  • Check the Success field before processing content
  • Handle HTML content appropriately for your use case
  • Store document IDs for repeated access
  • Validate document permissions before reading
  • Parse HTML carefully to extract needed information

Don'ts

  • Don't assume all formatting will convert perfectly
  • Avoid reading very large documents without consideration
  • Don't forget to handle authentication errors
  • Avoid hardcoding document IDs when possible
  • Don't process sensitive data without encryption
  • Avoid exceeding API rate limits
💡
Pro Tip: The HTML output preserves Word formatting, but complex layouts may not translate perfectly. For simple text extraction, consider parsing the HTML to remove tags. For rich content display, use the HTML directly in email bodies or web pages.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Document Not Found

Symptoms: Node fails with document not found error

Solution: Verify the document ID is correct and the document exists in OneDrive. Check that the user has access to the document and it hasn't been deleted.

Permission Errors

Symptoms: Node fails with insufficient permissions

Solution: Ensure the Microsoft account connection has Files.Read.All scope. Reconnect the Microsoft account if needed and verify OAuth permissions.

HTML Formatting Issues

Symptoms: Output HTML doesn't match expected formatting

Solution: Complex Word formatting may not convert perfectly to HTML. Simplify document formatting or post-process the HTML to fix formatting issues.

Large Document Timeouts

Symptoms: Node times out with very large documents

Solution: Large documents may take longer to process. Increase timeout settings or consider splitting large documents into smaller sections.

Related Resources