A DOT file is a template created by Microsoft Word, a word processing application and may be opened by various word processors. It contains pre-formatted document settings, such as headers, footers, margins, font sizes, and other common page styles. DOT files are used to create multiple documents that have similar formatting, such as company letterheads, business memos, or envelopes.

DOT file open in Microsoft Word 2016 Some templates are included with Microsoft Word that allow you to create a document such as a resume, cover letter, newsletter, or business plan, with the formatting already in place. You can also create your own templates with custom page layout, fonts, and styles. DOT files were replaced by .DOTX files with the release of Microsoft Office 2007. DOTX files are saved in the newer Open XML-based Word document format and can be opened in Microsoft Word 2007 or previous versions of Word with Open XML component support.