superdoc
v1.0.0Create, edit, and manipulate DOCX files using SuperDoc - a modern document editor with custom rendering pipeline. Use when you need to programmatically work with Word documents for creation, editing, formatting, or template generation. Supports both browser and headless Node.js contexts. Prefer Supe...
Installation
SuperDoc Skill
SuperDoc is a modern DOCX editor providing programmatic document manipulation with full formatting control.
Installed: v1.17.0 at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/superdoc
Quick Start
Create a new document
const { Document, Paragraph, TextRun } = require('superdoc');
const doc = new Document({
sections: [{
children: [
new Paragraph({
children: [
new TextRun({ text: "Hello World", bold: true })
]
})
]
}]
});
// Save to file
const fs = require('fs');
const Packer = require('superdoc').Packer;
Packer.toBuffer(doc).then(buffer => {
fs.writeFileSync('output.docx', buffer);
});
Edit an existing document
const { Document } = require('superdoc');
const fs = require('fs');
// Load existing DOCX
const buffer = fs.readFileSync('input.docx');
const doc = await Document.load(buffer);
// Find and replace text
doc.sections[0].children.forEach(para => {
para.children.forEach(run => {
if (run.text) {
run.text = run.text.replace(/Company A/g, 'Company B');
}
});
});
// Save modified document
const output = await Packer.toBuffer(doc);
fs.writeFileSync('output.docx', output);
Template generation (batch)
const { Document, Paragraph, TextRun } = require('superdoc');
const fs = require('fs');
// Load template
const template = fs.readFileSync('template.docx');
// Generate personalized documents
const clients = require('./clients.json');
for (const client of clients) {
const doc = await Document.load(template);
// Replace placeholders
doc.sections[0].children.forEach(para => {
para.children.forEach(run => {
if (run.text) {
run.text = run.text
.replace('{{NAME}}', client.name)
.replace('{{EMAIL}}', client.email);
}
});
});
const output = await Packer.toBuffer(doc);
fs.writeFileSync(`output/${client.id}.docx`, output);
}
Common Workflows
Document creation flow
- Import required classes:
Document,Paragraph,TextRun,Packer - Build document structure with sections and paragraphs
- Apply formatting (bold, italic, fonts, colors)
- Export using
Packer.toBuffer()orPacker.toBlob()
Document editing flow
- Load existing DOCX:
Document.load(buffer) - Navigate structure:
doc.sections[i].children(paragraphs) - Modify content: update
run.textor formatting properties - Save:
Packer.toBuffer(doc)
Error handling
Common issues:
- File not found: Check path before fs.readFileSync()
- Invalid DOCX: Wrap Document.load() in try-catch
- Memory limits: For large batches, process in chunks (max 100 docs at once)
Headless Node.js Usage
SuperDoc requires browser APIs by default. In CLI/headless contexts:
Setup (one-time):
npm install --global superdoc jsdom
Polyfill browser APIs:
const { JSDOM } = require('jsdom');
const dom = new JSDOM('<!DOCTYPE html>');
global.window = dom.window;
global.document = window.document;
global.localStorage = {
getItem: () => null,
setItem: () => {},
removeItem: () => {}
};
// Now import SuperDoc
const { Document } = require('superdoc');
Alternative: Use browser tool
For complex rendering or UI-dependent features, use OpenClaw's browser tool to run SuperDoc in a real browser context.
React Integration
Install:
npm install @superdoc-dev/react
Basic usage:
import { SuperDocEditor } from '@superdoc-dev/react';
import { useState } from 'react';
function App() {
const [doc, setDoc] = useState(null);
return (
<SuperDocEditor
document={doc}
onChange={setDoc}
onSave={(buffer) => {
// Handle save
const blob = new Blob([buffer], {
type: 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document'
});
// Download or upload blob
}}
/>
);
}
Key props:
- document: Document instance or null
- onChange: Callback when document changes
- onSave: Callback with buffer when user saves
- toolbar: Custom toolbar config (optional)
When NOT to Use SuperDoc
- PDF editing: Use pdf-lib or similar
- Document analysis/summarization: Use text extraction + LLM
- OCR: Use tesseract or cloud OCR services
- Simple text extraction: Use mammoth.js (lighter weight)
- Legacy .doc (not .docx): Use LibreOffice or online converters
Advanced Usage
For detailed API reference, advanced formatting, tracked changes, and custom rendering: - See references/superdoc-reference.md - Repository: https://github.com/superdoc-dev/superdoc
Troubleshooting
"localStorage is not defined" → Add localStorage polyfill (see Headless Usage section)
"Cannot read property 'children' of undefined"
→ Document structure may be empty; check doc.sections.length > 0
Large files slow/crash → Process in batches; consider streaming for files >10MB
Formatting not preserved → Ensure you're modifying properties, not replacing objects