Forum Discussion
Microsoft 365 Cloud vs Desktop Applications
I am having issues with the Microsoft 365 Professional version which supposedly should display the documents as a replica on the Cloud when edited using the Desktop version of the same application.
Shown below is what a Microsoft Word document looks like side-by-side Cloud vs Desktop:
It would seem that spacing and page breaks would hold properly in the Cloud version (shown on the left), but do not.
My understanding is that Microsoft Office products have always had an XML base, so technically, what is produced using a Desktop version of an application should display as a replica when opened in a Cloud version of an application.
However, what I am seeing is that I lose page numbering and properly spacing in my Cloud version of the same exact document which is pulled from the same exact file location. I am constantly doing double the work to create a perfect document.
Are there any suggestions from Microsoft 365 support that might help remedy these formatting issues?
1 Reply
Yes, expected consistency between Microsoft Word's desktop and cloud versions — especially since both rely on the same XML-based file structure. You may consider the following:
- Use standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman to avoid substitution issues.
- Avoid floating objects (like images or logos anchored to text) — instead, use tables or inline positioning.
- Set page layout manually using margins and breaks that are compatible with both versions.
- Open documents in the desktop app by default from OneDrive or SharePoint — right-click and choose “Open in App” to preserve formatting.
- Roll back Office updates if the issue started recently. Some users resolved layout problems by reverting to a previous version.
