What is the VSDX file format?
Files with the .vsdx extension are Microsoft Visio drawings - Visio being a diagramming application that has been part of the Microsoft 365 suite since its 2013 version. The program enables users to create different types of diagrams, charts, flowcharts, and technical illustrations. A .vsdx file stores the complete content of a drawing: page layouts, shapes, connections, and any linked external data.
Structure of a .vsdx file
- *Masters* - a collection of shared shape templates and stencil definitions reused across pages.
- *VisioDocument* - the root container; holds the sequence of pages and a collection of shared resources.
- *Pages* - layout and graphic elements for the individual pages of the document.
- *Shapes* - vector graphic elements and their properties, text labels, and connection points.
- *Data connections* - a collection of rules describing how external data is imported and how it may affect the visual appearance of a diagram.
In previous versions of the program, the binary .vsd format was used to store diagrams. .vsdx files are ZIP archive packages created according to the Open Packaging Conventions (OPC) and Open XML standards, containing separate XML files with specific data from the diagrams - such as descriptions and images - but no macros. The macro-enabled counterpart is .vsdm; due to its ability to run embedded code, it requires stricter security controls. .vsdx files apply lossless compression to embedded assets via the DEFLATE algorithm.
Accessing .vsdx contents
Like all file types based on the Open XML format, .vsdx files allow straightforward access to the data they contain. Renaming the .vsdx extension to .zip and unpacking it with any decompression utility reveals the internal folder structure, including visio/document.xml, [Content_Types].xml, and individual page XML files. This makes .vsdx easy to inspect without specialized software or to process programmatically with standard XML tools.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPlain VSDX has no macros and is low risk. The macro-enabled variant is VSDM, which can carry VBA - treat VSDM from untrusted senders like any macro document and keep macros disabled. Opening a VSDX in draw.io or LibreOffice (which don't run Visio VBA) is a safe way to inspect a diagram you're unsure about.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open VSDX files
Windows3 apps
Microsoft Visio
Paid The native editor (sold separately from Office). Double-click to open and edit fully. 
LibreOffice Draw
Open-source Free; double-click to open VSDX (read/view). Fidelity is partial on complex diagrams. 
draw.io (diagrams.net) Desktop
Open-source Free. Use File > Import to open the VSDX, then edit; export to PDF/PNG/SVG. 
macOS2 apps
draw.io (diagrams.net) Desktop
Open-source Import the VSDX in draw.io for Mac (Visio is not available natively on macOS). 
Linux2 apps
VSD Viewer (Nektony)
Paid Open the VSDX to view diagrams on iPhone/iPad; view-only, no Visio required.
draw.io / diagrams.net (online)
Free Open app.diagrams.net, choose 'Open Existing Diagram', select the VSDX - imports and renders in the browser.
Visio Viewer / Visio for the web
Freemium Upload the VSDX to OneDrive and open it in Visio for the web (viewing is free with a Microsoft account). Technical details
deep spec| Container format | ZIP-based Open Packaging Conventions (OPC) package - same infrastructure as OOXML formats such as .docx and .xlsx |
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-visio.drawing |
| Magic bytes | 50 4B 03 04 ("PK" - standard ZIP signature); distinguished internally by [Content_Types].xml declaring Visio content types |
| Primary XML namespace | http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/visio/2012/main |
| Compression | DEFLATE algorithm (via ZIP) applied to XML text parts and embedded binary assets |
| Macro support | Macro-free by design; the macro-enabled variant uses the .vsdm extension |
| Multi-page model | Each page stored as a separate XML file (pages/page1.xml, pages/page2.xml, ...) within the package |
| Shape master storage | Reusable shape templates stored under masters/ folder; referenced by numeric ID across multiple pages |
| External data connections | Supports live links to ODBC sources, SharePoint lists, and Excel ranges via DataConnections XML elements |
| Custom shape properties | Each shape can carry typed custom data fields (ShapeSheet rows) serialized as XML attributes |
| Theme support | Color and font themes stored in theme/theme1.xml, following the DrawingML theme model |
| Relationship model | Package parts linked via .rels files in _rels/ directories, per the OPC relationship convention |
| Embedded media | Raster images and other media stored in the media/ directory within the ZIP package |
| Third-party support | Imported and exported by draw.io/diagrams.net, LibreOffice Draw (partial fidelity), and Visio for the web |
| Predecessor format | Replaces the proprietary binary .vsd format used in Visio 97-2010 |
| Released | 2013 (Microsoft Visio 2013, replacing the binary VSD) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | learn.microsoft.com |
VSDX conversions
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