How do I open a WPD file online?
To open a WPD file online, upload it to a browser-based WPD file viewer such as Publish Media Software (PublishMedia): create a free account, drag the .wpd file in, and each page opens in the page editor laid out as it was formatted. It works on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad, and viewing costs nothing.
Open a WordPerfect file online in 3 steps
- 1
Create a free account
Go to publishmediasoftware.com and sign up with any email address. There's no credit card to enter and nothing to download or install.
- 2
Drag in the WordPerfect file
Drop the .wpd, .wp5 or other WordPerfect file onto the upload area, up to 100 MB. A file with no extension, or one named .doc, works too.
- 3
Read and check each page
Every page appears in the page editor as the document was formatted. The Import Report lists anything to review, such as an old printer font swapped for a close match.
6 ways to read a .wpd document, ranked by effort
Ranked by how quickly someone without WordPerfect can read the whole document. If you already own Corel WordPerfect, use it — it's the most faithful.
| Tool | Platform | Opens .wpd | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publish Media Software | Browser-based (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, iPad) | ✓ Yes | Free to open |
| LibreOffice Writer | Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) | ✓ Yes | Free |
| Corel WordPerfect Office | Desktop (Windows) | ✓ Yes | Paid |
| Microsoft Word for Windows | Desktop (Windows) | ✓ Yes | Paid (Microsoft 365 or Office) |
| Ask the sender for a PDF | Email or message | ✓ Yes | Free |
| Windows Notepad | Desktop (Windows) | ✗ No | Free |
- 1. Publish Media Software — Opens .wpd and older WordPerfect files from DOS versions onward, page by page, with nothing to install. Editing and PDF export need a paid plan, and it can't save back to .wpd.
- 2. LibreOffice Writer — Open-source office software that opens WordPerfect documents offline and can save them as .docx or PDF. You have to download and install it first, and complex layouts may shift.
- 3. Corel WordPerfect Office — The program that makes the format shows every formatting code and lets you keep working in .wpd. It's Windows-only and costs money, which is a lot to spend on one old file.
- 4. Microsoft Word for Windows — Some versions open WordPerfect files through File › Open, but support is limited and varies by version. Formatting often changes, so compare the result carefully.
- 5. Ask the sender for a PDF — If the person who sent the file still has WordPerfect, a PDF copy takes them a minute to make. It doesn't help with a decades-old file whose author is long gone.
- 6. Windows Notepad — Notepad shows the raw file, so you may spot readable sentences between strings of odd symbols. It's a last-ditch way to rescue words, with no layout at all.
Accurate as of October 2026.
What is a .wpd file, and why won't Google Docs read it?
A .wpd file is a word-processing document saved by WordPerfect, the program Satellite Software International first released around 1980 and Corel has owned since 1996. The .wpd extension became the default with WordPerfect 6; older files often end in .wp, .wp5 or .w51, or have no extension at all. Inside is WordPerfect's own format of text mixed with hidden formatting codes — the ones its Reveal Codes view shows. Google Docs and Word for Mac don't understand that format, and Word for Windows handles it only partly.
Who needs a WPD file viewer in 2026?
Law offices
Old wills, contracts and pleadings drafted in WordPerfect still turn up in client files. Read the wording without installing anything on a firm computer.
Government and court staff
Agencies that standardized on WordPerfect years ago keep sending .wpd attachments. Open them on whatever computer is on your desk.
Archivists and librarians
Donated collections and old office records often include WordPerfect files. Check what a file holds before deciding how to preserve it.
Families sorting old files
Letters, family histories and recipes typed in the 1990s, copied off floppy disks onto a USB stick. See them again on a Mac, Chromebook or iPad.
Writers and researchers
Manuscripts, theses and notes written in WordPerfect 5.1 or later. Read them, then decide whether they're worth turning into Word or PDF.
Executors and small-business owners
A late relative's papers or a retired partner's records may be all WordPerfect. Find out what each file says without buying software.
What can't open a .wpd file?
These are the apps people try first when a WordPerfect file arrives — none of them reads the format — plus the one kind of WordPerfect file PublishMedia can't open.
- ✗
Google Docs
Google Docs can't open .wpd files. Google Drive will store one, but Google Docs can't open or convert it.
- ✗
Microsoft Word for Mac
Word for Mac doesn't open .wpd files, and Corel sells no current WordPerfect for Mac either.
- ✗
Apple Pages and TextEdit
Neither of Apple's Mac apps supports the WordPerfect format, so double-clicking the file on a Mac usually goes nowhere.
- ✗
Android phones and tablets
Corel makes WordPerfect only for Windows, and Google Docs can't open .wpd files on Android either. Ask the sender for a PDF, or open the file later on a computer.
- ✗
Password-protected WordPerfect files
WordPerfect can lock a document with a password, and PublishMedia can't open locked files. Ask the author for a copy without the password, or a PDF.
Open your WordPerfect document — or start from a template
Hundreds of print-ready templates sit right next to the files you open.
Ready to read that WPD file?
Drag it into your browser and see every page at no cost. If you need changes, a PDF or a Word copy, All-Access or Monthly covers it.
WPD file questions people ask
Is the PublishMedia WPD viewer free?
Yes, opening and viewing WordPerfect files in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is free: sign up with an email address, no credit card, and view as many .wpd files as you like. Free-plan files are kept 7 days, then deleted automatically after a reminder email. Editing, saving projects and PDF export come with All-Access ($99 a year) or Monthly ($9.99).
Can I open a WordPerfect file that has no extension?
Yes, Publish Media Software opens WordPerfect documents with no extension, or with a .doc name, because it reads the file's content rather than trusting its name. That matters for DOS-era files, which people often saved as LETTER or REPORT1 with nothing after the name. Drag the file in exactly as it is.
How do I open a WPD file on a Chromebook?
On a Chromebook, open a WPD file in the browser with Publish Media Software: sign up, drag the file from the Files app into the page, and read it at no cost. Google Docs can't open .wpd files and ChromeOS has no WordPerfect program, so a browser-based viewer is the simplest route.
Will the fonts look right in an old WordPerfect document?
Mostly, but fonts are the most common difference, because old WordPerfect files often name printer or system fonts your computer doesn't have. Publish Media Software swaps in a close match and lists each swap in the Import Report, so you know what changed. A font swap changes how the text looks, not what it says, though a line may break in a different place.
Can I edit a WPD file and save it as .wpd again?
No, Publish Media Software can't save back to .wpd. On a paid plan you can edit the document and export a print-ready PDF, or use “Edit as a Word document” to make and download a .docx. If the result must stay in WordPerfect format, Corel WordPerfect Office for Windows is the right tool.
Is it safe to upload an old legal document to an online viewer?
Uploading a legal document to Publish Media Software is reasonably safe: files are encrypted in transit and never used for public templates, and free-plan files are deleted automatically after 7 days. For client files, follow your office's own rules on cloud services. If those rules forbid uploading, LibreOffice opens WordPerfect files on your own computer.
Why does my WPD file show strange symbols in Notepad?
A WPD file shows strange symbols in Notepad because WordPerfect stores formatting as hidden binary codes mixed in with the text — the same codes its Reveal Codes view displays. Notepad reads only plain text, so those codes appear as gibberish between fragments of your words. Open the file in a program that understands WordPerfect to see the real pages.
Can I open a .wpd file on an iPad?
Yes, an iPad can open a .wpd file in Safari with Publish Media Software: save the attachment to the Files app, sign in at publishmediasoftware.com and choose the file. Apple's Pages app doesn't support WordPerfect, and Corel makes WordPerfect only for Windows, so the browser is the practical option on a tablet.
What's the difference between .wpd, .wpt and .wpg files?
A .wpd file is a WordPerfect document, a .wpt file is a WordPerfect template, and a .wpg file is a WordPerfect Graphics image. The letter, contract or report you're looking for is almost always a .wpd, or an older .wp, .wp5 or .w51 file. A .wpt is used to start new documents, and a .wpg is a picture, often clip art.
Do I need Windows to open a WordPerfect document?
No, you don't need Windows to open a WordPerfect document. Publish Media Software opens one in a browser on a Mac, Chromebook, Linux computer or iPad, and LibreOffice Writer opens it on Mac and Linux at no cost. Only Corel WordPerfect itself requires Windows, since there is no current Mac version.
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, .wpd is the standard file extension for documents created in WordPerfect 6 and later; older versions, including the well-known WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS (1989), often saved files as .wp, .wp5, .w51, .doc or with no extension. WordPerfect was first released around 1980 by Satellite Software International, was bought by Novell in 1994 and by Corel in 1996, and is still sold as Corel WordPerfect Office for Windows. There is no current WordPerfect for Mac. LibreOffice Writer, part of the no-cost LibreOffice suite for Windows, Mac and Linux, opens WordPerfect documents; Google Docs and Microsoft Word for Mac do not, and Word for Windows offers limited support that varies by version. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens WordPerfect files in a web browser at no cost to view, identifying them by their content rather than their file name.
More about WordPerfect files
Other files you can open
Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of the programs named on this page. WordPerfect is a trademark of Corel Corporation. Microsoft and Word are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.