What is the LWP file format?
An .lwp file is a word-processing document created by Lotus Word Pro, a word-processor developed by Lotus Development Corporation and later maintained by IBM. The Lotus Word Pro software is part of the Lotus SmartSuite of applications, used to create various types of documents including reports and proposals.
Unlike a plain-text file, .lwp is a proprietary binary format built on an OLE2 Compound File Binary container - the same low-level structure shared with legacy Microsoft Office files such as .doc. Inside that container, a dedicated WordPro named stream holds the document text, styles, fonts, tables, and embedded objects such as graphs, charts, and formulas.
The format evolved from Lotus Ami Pro (.sam files), which Word Pro succeeded in 1995. IBM officially ended Lotus SmartSuite support on 30 September 2014, making .lwp a legacy format today.
In addition to Lotus Word Pro, .lwp files can be opened using LibreOffice Writer, which ships a built-in import filter on Windows, macOS, and Linux - making free conversion to .odt or .docx straightforward. IBM Verity KeyView also supports viewing and printing .lwp files on Windows.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .lwp is a legacy document, not executable. The main consideration is that, like old .doc files, Word Pro documents could contain macros/embedded objects - open untrusted ones in LibreOffice (which won't run Lotus macros) rather than legacy Lotus software. Avoid sketchy 'LWP converter' sites that bundle adware; LibreOffice from libreoffice.org converts .lwp for free and offline.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open LWP files
Windows3 apps
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source File → Open, set the filter to 'Lotus WordPro Document (.lwp)', open the file, then Save As DOCX/ODT/PDF. Free - no Lotus software needed. 
Lotus SmartSuite (Word Pro)
Paid Native app if you still have it installed - File → Open. Discontinued by IBM (support ended Sept 30, 2014); not obtainable new.
IBM Verity KeyView
Paid Enterprise document-filter/viewer (now OpenText) that can read/print .lwp - used in archival/eDiscovery contexts, not a casual opener. 
macOS1 app
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Open the .lwp via the Lotus WordPro filter, then export to DOCX/ODT/PDF. The only practical free route on macOS. 
Linux1 app
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Open the .lwp (built-in lotuswordpro import filter) and Save As ODT/DOCX/PDF. Batch-convert with soffice --headless --convert-to docx *.lwp. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Proprietary binary word-processing document |
| Container format | OLE2 / Microsoft Compound File Binary (CFBF) |
| Magic bytes (hex) | D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 at offset 0 - standard OLE2 header shared with legacy .doc and .xls files |
| Internal stream name | WordPro named stream inside the OLE2 compound file; its presence distinguishes .lwp from other OLE2 documents |
| MIME type | application/vnd.lotus-wordpro |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Text encoding | Proprietary structured binary stream; text is not stored as plain ASCII or Unicode |
| Embedded content types | Graphs, charts, spreadsheet formulas, images, and OLE objects stored in separate sub-streams within the compound file |
| Password protection | Optional legacy password encryption; considered cryptographically weak by modern standards |
| Typical file size | Tens of KB to a few MB depending on embedded graphics and charts |
| Predecessor format | Lotus Ami Pro (.sam extension); Word Pro was its direct successor, introduced in 1995 |
| Platform support | Windows (primary); OS/2 supported during the Ami Pro and early Word Pro era |
| Internal version variants | Word Pro 96, 97, and 9.x stream formats; files are backward-compatible within the product line |
| Developer history | Created by Lotus Development Corporation; IBM acquired Lotus in 1995 and maintained the product until ending SmartSuite support on 30 September 2014 |
| Released | 1995 (Lotus Word Pro, successor to Lotus Ami Pro within Lotus SmartSuite) |
| Latest version | Lotus Word Pro 9.x / SmartSuite 9.8 (Millennium Edition, last release ~2002) |
| Specification | wiki.documentfoundation.org |
LWP conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about LWP files.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open an LWP file without Lotus Word Pro?
How do I convert an LWP file to Word (DOCX)?
Is Lotus Word Pro still supported?
Can Microsoft Word open .lwp files?
Why does my LWP file look messy after converting?
Can I batch-convert many LWP files at once?
soffice --headless --convert-to docx *.lwp (or --convert-to pdf) to convert a whole folder.
