What is a .wpd file?
WordPerfect Document · Document · WordPerfect Corporation / Corel (Alludo) · 1980s
A .wpd file is a WordPerfect document. WordPerfect ruled word processing in the late 1980s before Word took over, and it remains in daily use in parts of the legal world, so .wpd files still circulate.
What is a .wpd file used for?
WordPerfect documents start with the bytes FF 57 50 43, the letters WPC after a flag byte. The program's signature feature, Reveal Codes, shows the formatting codes inline, one reason law offices stayed loyal to it for decades.
Corel still sells WordPerfect Office, and modern Word and LibreOffice Writer both import .wpd files reasonably well, though complex legal formatting can drift. For archival exchange, PDF or DOCX conversion is the safe path.
What opens a .wpd file?
The .wpd format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- Corel WordPerfect
- Microsoft Word
- LibreOffice Writer
macOS
- LibreOffice Writer
- online converters
Linux
- LibreOffice Writer
Open a .wpd file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .wpd. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Corel WordPerfect or Microsoft Word.
- On Mac, use LibreOffice Writer or online converters.
- On Linux, try LibreOffice Writer.
- Still stuck? Convert the .wpd to docx, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .wpd file?
Almost always because no installed app understands WordPerfect. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .wpd at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .wpd file
You can convert a .wpd file to docx, pdf, rtf, odt using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
What is the .wpd file signature (magic bytes)?
A .wpd file starts with the hex bytes FF 57 50 43, which read as ÿWPC in ASCII. Programs identify WordPerfect by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for WordPerfect. For a full breakdown, see the WordPerfect file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| FF 57 50 43 | 0 | ÿWPC | ÿWPC prefix |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .wpd file?
A .wpd file is a WordPerfect document. WordPerfect ruled word processing in the late 1980s before Word took over, and it remains in daily use in parts of the legal world, so .wpd files still circulate.
How do I open a .wpd file without WordPerfect?
Microsoft Word and LibreOffice Writer both import .wpd directly: use File > Open and pick the file. Check the layout afterwards, as complex formatting can shift.
Why do law firms still use WordPerfect?
Habit plus features: Reveal Codes gives precise control over formatting codes, and decades of legal templates and pleadings exist in .wpd form.
How do I convert .wpd to Word or PDF?
Open it in Word or LibreOffice and save as DOCX or export to PDF. Corel WordPerfect itself can also publish directly to PDF.
Related formats
Sources
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references. How sources are ranked and what is deliberately left out is set out in the methodology.