You do not have to start from a blank page. Ettex opens the formats you already have — Word files, Google Docs exports, Markdown and plain HTML — and keeps everything editable afterwards. Nothing is converted into a format only Ettex can read.

Import a file from your computer

  1. Open Documents and press Import in the toolbar. On the desktop build the same button is labelled Open, because it opens a file from disk directly.
  2. Drag your file onto the drop zone, or click choose to open the file picker.
  3. Pick the file — .docx, .doc, .html, .md and .txt are all accepted.
  4. The document opens in the editor, ready to edit. It is saved into your library like any other Ettex document.

Coming from Google Docs

Google Docs files live in Google’s own format, so export them first — the result is an ordinary .docx that Ettex reads.

  1. In Google Docs, open File → Download → Microsoft Word (.docx).
  2. In Ettex, press Import and pick the downloaded file.
  3. Check headings, lists and tables — these carry over; very Google-specific features such as smart chips have no equivalent and are dropped.

Import from Storage

If the file is already in Ettex — someone sent it to you, or you uploaded it earlier — you do not need to download it first. In the Import dialog choose “Choose from Storage” and pick the file from your Ettex files. It opens the same way as a local file.

Opening files straight from your desktop

The desktop build registers itself for the file types it supports, so a double-click on a .docx in your file manager opens it in Ettex. This works fully offline — no account and no connection required.

Getting your work back out

Export is always available from the document menu: choose Export and pick the format. Documents export to DOCX, PDF and Markdown; spreadsheets to CSV, HTML and PDF; presentations to PDF and HTML.

This is the point of local-first: your files stay in open formats on your own device, so leaving Ettex would cost you an export, not a migration project.

Spreadsheets, contacts and books

Documents are not the only thing you can bring over. Spreadsheets accept CSV and XLSX, Contacts imports a CSV export from another CRM, and Books takes CSV transactions from your bank or previous accounting tool. In each case the Import button sits in the same place — the toolbar of that product.

Column mapping is the part worth a minute of attention: check that dates, amounts and email columns landed where you expect before you build reports on top of them.

Large files

Big documents and spreadsheets are read in chunks rather than all at once, so a long file starts showing content while the rest is still loading. If a file feels slow to open, it is usually images: a 40-page report with full-resolution photos takes longer than the same report with compressed ones.

What to check after importing

  • Headings and lists — these map directly and should look the same.
  • Tables — structure is preserved; very complex nested tables may need a quick tidy-up.
  • Images — embedded images come across with the document.
  • Comments and tracked changes from other suites are not imported; export a clean copy if the original is full of revision marks.