Microsoft Word for Mac help file
File type: Various data file
A .whlp file is a help file used by older versions of Microsoft Word for Mac.
It contains help information and supporting resources for the Word application rather than an editable Word document.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: September 27, 2026
The WHLP file extension is associated with older versions of Microsoft Word for Mac, Microsoft's word-processing software for Apple computers.
A WHLP file stores application help content used to provide information about Word's features and operation. It is a supporting resource for the software and is not normally created as a standalone user document.
This is a legacy format associated with older Mac versions of Word. Modern versions of Microsoft Word for macOS may use different help systems.
Use the version of Microsoft Word for Mac that the WHLP file belongs to. Word normally accesses this file through its Help system rather than opening it as a regular document.
A standalone WHLP file may not open usefully by double-clicking it, and there is no standard viewer for it on macOS. If the file is missing from an older Word installation, reinstalling the matching version of Word is the most appropriate approach.
A WHLP file is an application help resource, not a document format, so it cannot be meaningfully converted to a Word document or another ordinary file format.
To retain information from it, view the help content through the matching version of Microsoft Word for Mac and copy any required text manually.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving whlp files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
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