How to Open Office Files Directly in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge makes it simple to open and view Microsoft Office documents without needing to download them or use separate desktop apps.

Whether you’re working with Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files, Edge can handle them right from your browser.

Common MS Office File Extensions

Some of the most common and widely used Microsoft Office file formats are:

• .docx – Microsoft Word documents
• .xlsx – Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
• .pptx – Microsoft PowerPoint presentations
• .xls and .doc – Older versions of Excel and Word files

These file types are commonly shared online through email attachments, OneDrive, or other cloud storage platforms.

Enable Office File Viewing in Edge

Edge browser can either open these files directly in a new browser tab or download them to your computer.

You can control this behavior easily through its settings.

To enable opening these files in Edge, access download settings by typing in the address bar:

edge://settings/downloads

This opens the Downloads settings page.

From here, look for the option Open Office files in the browser and toggle it on/off.

When this setting is enabled, any Office file (such as .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx) that you access online will automatically open in a new tab using Edge’s built-in Office viewer.

If you turn the setting off, these files will be downloaded locally to your device instead.

Tip: Keeping this option on can save time and storage space, especially when you just want to read or quickly review a document without downloading it.

Happy browsing!