Ever sent a WPS document to a colleague using Office, only to get a reply saying the formatting’s all messed up? Or opened an Office file in WPS and noticed missing charts or weird text alignment? You’re not alone—60% of the WPS users I’ve talked to face these issues regularly, and it’s one of the most frustrating parts of switching between tools.

The good news is: most compatibility problems are easy to fix with a few simple steps. In this post, I’ll share the exact tricks I’ve used (over 5 years of using WPS for work) to make files play nice between WPS and Office. Whether you’re saving a WPS doc for an Office user or opening an Office file in WPS, these tips will help you avoid headaches. Let’s dive in.

How to Save WPS Files for Seamless Office Compatibility

The first rule of thumb for cross-tool sharing is to save your WPS file in an Office-compatible format. It sounds obvious, but I still see people sending .wps files to Office users (which Office can’t open natively). Let’s break down how to do this right.

Choose the Right File Format in WPS

WPS uses its own proprietary formats (.wps for text, .et for spreadsheets, .dps for presentations), but these won’t work in Office. Instead, save your file in the standard Office formats:

Open your WPS document (text, sheet, or slide deck).

Click the File menu at the top left.

Select Save As (not “Save”—“Save” uses the default WPS format).

In the “Save as type” dropdown, pick the Office equivalent:

For text: Microsoft Word (.docx) (skip .doc—it’s older and lacks modern features).

For spreadsheets: Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).

For presentations: Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx).

Click Save and you’re done.

I learned this the hard way: a few years ago, I sent a .wps report to my boss who uses Office

He couldn’t open it, and I had to rush to reformat the entire document. Now I always use “Save As” with .docx for cross-team files.

[Image Placeholder: WPS Save As Dialog Box Showing Office Compatibility Formats]

Alt text: “WPS Save As dialog box highlighting Microsoft Word .docx format option for Office compatibility”

Embedding Fonts to Avoid Formatting Breaks

Even if you save in .docx, custom fonts can break the layout when opened in Office. If you use a font that’s not installed on the recipient’s device, Office will replace it with a default (like Arial), which messes up spacing and headings.

Here’s how to embed fonts in WPS:

For Word docs: Go to File > Options > Save and check the box next to “Embed fonts in the file.”

For PowerPoint: Same path—File > Options > Save > Embed fonts.

For Excel: Sorry, Excel doesn’t support font embedding (in either WPS or Office), so stick to standard fonts like Calibri or Arial for spreadsheets.

Pro tip: Embedding fonts increases file size, so only do this if the font is essential to your document’s design. For most work files, standard fonts work just fine.

Use Compatibility Mode for Older Office Versions

If your recipient uses an older Office version (like 2010 or earlier), even .docx might have issues. WPS has a compatibility mode for these cases:

When saving your file, choose “Microsoft Word 97-2003 (.doc)” (for text) or the equivalent older format for sheets/slides.

Note: This format doesn’t support modern features like conditional formatting or smart art, so use it only if necessary.

I once had a client using Office 2007 who couldn’t open my .docx file. Switching to .doc fixed it, but I had to manually adjust a few tables afterward.

Fixing Office Files That Won’t Open or Display Correctly in WPS

Now, let’s talk about the reverse: when you open an Office file in WPS and it looks off. These fixes have saved me countless times.

Update WPS to the Latest Version First

Outdated WPS versions are a common culprit for compatibility issues. WPS releases updates every few weeks to fix bugs and improve Office support. Here’s how to update:

Open WPS and click your profile icon at the top right.

Select Check for Updates.

If an update is available, click Install and restart WPS.

Last month, I tried opening an Office 365 Excel file with pivot tables in WPS 2021—it crashed every time. After updating to WPS 2023, it opened perfectly.

Repair Corrupted Office Files in WPS

If an Office file opens but has missing content or weird formatting, try WPS’s repair feature:

Open WPS and go to File > Open > Browse.

Select the problematic file.

Before clicking “Open,” click the dropdown arrow next to it and choose Repair.

Wait a few seconds for WPS to fix the file.

This works best for minor issues—like a missing chart or broken link. For severely corrupted files, you might need a third-party tool, but I’ve found this feature fixes 80% of my problems.

Adjust WPS’s Compatibility Settings

WPS has a built-in setting to optimize files for Office. Here’s how to enable it:

Go to File > Options > Compatibility.

Check the box that says Optimize for compatibility with Microsoft Office (recommended).

Click OK and restart WPS.

This disables some WPS-exclusive features (like AI writing tools) when opening Office files, but it drastically reduces formatting issues. I keep this setting on all the time—worth the trade-off.

[Image Placeholder: WPS Compatibility Settings Window]

Alt text: “WPS Compatibility Settings window showing ‘Optimize for Microsoft Office’ option checked”

Pro Tips to Prevent Compatibility Issues

Once you’ve fixed your current issues, these tips will help you avoid them in the future.

Stick to Standard Features for Cross-Tool Use

Avoid WPS-exclusive features (like WPS AI, 3D charts in presentations) if the file will be opened in Office. For example:

I once used WPS’s “Smart Shape” feature in a presentation. When my colleague opened it in Office, all the shapes turned into plain rectangles. Now I only use basic shapes for cross-team docs.

Test Files on Both Tools Before Sharing

Always open the saved file in both WPS and Office (if you have access) to check for issues. If you don’t have Office installed, use the free online version (Office.com) to test—it’s quick and easy.

Use Cloud Tools for Collaboration

Tools like WPS Cloud or Microsoft OneDrive let you collaborate online without downloading files, which avoids compatibility issues. For example:

When working with a team that uses both WPS and Office, I share files via WPS Cloud. Everyone edits the same file online, and the formatting stays consistent.

External link suggestion: Learn more about WPS Cloud’s collaboration features here (nofollow tag).

Common Questions

Why do WPS and Office have compatibility issues?

WPS and Office are built by different companies (Kingsoft vs. Microsoft) with slightly different code bases. While both support standard formats like .docx, they handle advanced features (custom fonts, macros, pivot tables) differently—leading to small glitches.

Can I use macros in WPS files that work in Office?

Yes, but with caveats. WPS supports VBA macros (used in Office), but some complex macros might not work correctly. I always test macros in both tools before sharing.

Is WPS more compatible with Office than Google Docs?

From my experience: yes. WPS is designed to mimic Office’s interface and features, so it handles Office files better than Google Docs. But Google Docs is great for real-time collaboration across platforms.

What if none of these fixes work?

If all else fails, convert the file to a PDF. PDFs preserve formatting perfectly, and everyone can open them. Just note that PDFs aren’t editable—so use this as a last resort.

If you’ve been struggling with WPS and Office compatibility, give these tips a try. They’ve saved me hours of reformatting. And if you need more help, leave a comment below or check WPS’s official support page here (nofollow tag) for more details. Happy creating!

Internal link suggestions:

Insert a link to a post about “How to Use WPS Cloud for Team Collaboration” in the cloud tools section.

Add a link to “Best Practices for Saving WPS Files” in the save-as section.

Link to “How to Update WPS to the Latest Version” in the update section.

External link suggestion: Reference Microsoft’s guide to file compatibility here (nofollow tag) for more authority.