Password Protect Word Documents — Lock & Unlock DOCX
Lock a Word document with a password, unlock files you have the password for, and restrict editing — read-only, comments, tracked changes, or forms. Everything runs locally in your browser.
Everything you need to protect your documents
Password-protect Word documents
Encrypt a .docx (or .doc, converted in-browser) with a password so nobody can open it without the key. Standard-compliant Agile AES-256 encryption that opens in Microsoft Word with a password prompt.
Unlock encrypted documents
Enter the password and download a plain, unprotected .docx. Handles documents encrypted by Word or by this tool.
Restrict editing
Make a document read-only, or allow only comments, tracked changes, or form filling. Perfect for contracts, drafts, and shared files.
Optional restriction passwords
Require a password before anyone can turn the editing restriction off, so collaborators cannot silently re-enable edits.
100% private & secure
Files are processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, so your documents never leave your device.
Free, instant & no sign-up
No accounts, no watermarks, no waiting. Just pick a file, choose an action, and download the result.
About Password & Permissions
Password & Permissions puts Word's document protection tools in your browser. Two separate protections are supported. An open password encrypts the whole .docx with standard-compliant Agile encryption (AES-256), so the file cannot be opened without the password. An editing restriction, in contrast, keeps the document viewable but controls what others may do — read-only, comments only, tracked changes only, or form filling — and can optionally be protected by a password. Both protections are written directly into the file's OOXML package, so the results open in Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, and other Office-compatible apps without any extra software.
How to protect or unlock a Word document
Three simple steps — no account needed.
Choose your file
Drag and drop a .docx or .doc file or click to browse. Encrypted files are detected automatically and routed to the Unlock tab.
Pick an action
Enter the password to unlock a protected file, or set a new password and a restriction mode — read-only, comments, tracked changes, or forms — to protect one.
Download the result
Hit download. The processed document is ready instantly and never leaves your device.
Good to know
A forgotten open password cannot be recovered — encryption is the point, and there is no backdoor. 'Restrict editing' keeps accidental or unauthorized edits out in Microsoft Word and LibreOffice; it is advisory markup, so apps that don't implement it (such as Apple Pages) may still edit the file. For protection that holds in every app, use the Protect tab to password-encrypt the document. Key derivation uses 100,000 rounds of SHA-512, so processing larger files can take a second or two. Legacy .doc files are supported too: on the Protect and Restrict tabs a .doc is converted to .docx in your browser, processed, and — for restrictions — converted back so you still download a .doc. Password-protecting a .doc downloads an encrypted .docx instead, because a browser cannot produce a password-protected .doc, and an already-encrypted .doc cannot be unlocked here for the same reason.