How to Reproduce the EditDocx DOCX Round-Trip Test Yourself
Step-by-step: download the public compatibility baseline, verify SHA-256, import in EditDocx, check pass/partial rows, download, and reopen in Word — a reproducible fidelity ritual.
Anyone can say “we tested it.” A reproducible test names the file, the hash, the browser, and the checklist. This walkthrough uses the public EditDocx baseline so you can run the same ritual we publish on the Compatibility Lab.
Companion read: baseline results explained.
What you need
- A modern Chromium, Firefox, or Safari build (write down the version)
- ~10 minutes
- Optional: desktop Word or LibreOffice for the final reopen
- Optional:
shasum/sha256sumto verify the fixture
Step 1 — Get the exact fixture
Download:
editdocx-compatibility-baseline.docx
Verify SHA-256:
# macOS
shasum -a 256 editdocx-compatibility-baseline.docx
# Linux
sha256sum editdocx-compatibility-baseline.docx
Expected:
26bdee56fbbd33eeaf44f73e90502eb2626414a80a9d33eeab9e87225dc3e5d9
Mismatch? You do not have the published baseline. Re-download from the lab page.
Step 2 — Import in EditDocx
- Open https://editdocx.net/editor/
- Prefer a private window if the machine is shared
- Drag the baseline onto the page (or Import)
- Confirm: 0 accounts, document content processed in the tab (no-upload boundary)
You should see styled body text, a small table, header/footer regions, and review marks (comment / tracked changes) per the fixture description.
Step 3 — On-canvas checklist (match the lab rows)
Work down this list. Mark pass / partial / fail for your browser:
| # | Check | Lab status (2026-07-16 Chromium) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bold/italic/color/size/alignment editable | pass |
| 2 | 2×2 table: cell text, borders, header shading | pass |
| 3 | Inline PNG visible on canvas | partial (package retained; canvas miss in that run) |
| 4 | Header + footer text in page regions | pass |
| 5 | Comment + tracked insert/delete usable | pass |
| 6 | Fonts look identical to Word on your machine | partial (substitution possible) |
If your results differ, note browser + OS + date. That is useful signal for [email protected] — attach redacted notes, not confidential customer files.
Step 4 — Download and reopen (the real round-trip)
- Download DOCX from EditDocx
- Open the download in Word or LibreOffice
- Re-check rows 1–6 in the desktop app
- Especially re-check the image: package retention can mean Word shows a PNG the browser canvas skipped
This is the step people skip — and the step that catches layout surprises before email (fidelity narrative).
Step 5 — Optional stress edits
On a copy of the fixture (never overwrite your only original):
- Change one table cell
- Accept or reject one tracked change
- Download again and reopen
Stop if you hit charts, SmartArt, OLE, macros, or encryption — unsupported (Features).
What “success” looks like for everyday docs
For memos and short reports: body text + simple tables + light review surviving download is the win condition. Exact font metrics and exotic floats are where you escalate to desktop Word (when desktop Word still wins).
FAQ
Why SHA-256?
So “baseline” means the same bytes for everyone — not “a similar looking file.”
Do I need Chromium?
No. Report your browser. The published lab row for images called out Chromium specifically.
Can I automate this?
Internally we care about CI-style round-trips; this article is the human ritual. Automation belongs with engine tests, not guest PCs.
Where is the product privacy boundary while I test?
