python-docx

name	python-docx
description	Create and manipulate Microsoft Word documents programmatically. Build reports, contracts, and documentation with full control over paragraphs, tables, headers, styles, and images.
version	1.0.0
category	data
type	skill
capabilities	["document_creation","paragraph_formatting","table_generation","header_footer_management","style_customization","image_insertion","template_manipulation","mail_merge_patterns"]
tools	["python","python-docx","lxml"]
tags	["word","docx","document-generation","reports","templates","office-automation"]
platforms	["windows","macos","linux"]
related_skills	["docx-templates","pypdf","openpyxl"]
requires	[]
scripts_exempt	true

Python Docx

Overview

Python-docx is a Python library for creating and manipulating Microsoft Word (.docx) documents. This skill covers comprehensive patterns for document automation including:

• Document creation from scratch or templates
• Paragraph formatting with styles, fonts, and alignment
• Table generation with merged cells, styles, and formatting
• Headers and footers with page numbers and dynamic content
• Image insertion with sizing and positioning
• Style management for consistent document appearance
• Template manipulation for document workflows
• Mail merge patterns for bulk document generation

When to Use This Skill

USE when:

• Creating Word documents programmatically from data
• Generating reports with consistent formatting
• Building contracts, invoices, or legal documents
• Automating template-based document creation
• Modifying existing Word documents
• Creating documents with complex table structures
• Generating technical documentation with code blocks
• Building multi-section documents with headers/footers
• Creating documents with embedded images and charts
• Batch processing document generation

DON'T USE when:

• Simple template filling (use docx-templates instead)
• PDF generation is the final output (use pypdf or reportlab)
• Need real-time collaborative editing
• Document requires complex macros or VBA
• Need to preserve complex Word features (use COM automation on Windows)
• Only need to extract text from documents (use python-docx2txt)

Prerequisites

Installation

# Using pip
pip install python-docx

# Using uv (recommended)
uv pip install python-docx

# With image support
pip install python-docx Pillow

# Full installation with all optional dependencies
pip install python-docx Pillow lxml

Verify Installation

from docx import Document
from docx.shared  Inches, Pt, Cm
 docx.enum.text  WD_ALIGN_PARAGRAPH
 docx.enum.table  WD_TABLE_ALIGNMENT

()