The DOTM extension indicates a template file created with Microsoft Word 2007+, the word processor included in Microsoft Office. Default documents created with Microsoft Word can contain various elements such as images, drawn objects, tables, links to websites and also links to other local files. The default Microsoft Word documents are saved as DOCX files.

DOTM files are templates which are used to store the entire structure of a document. This includes page layout, margins, fonts and styles. By creating a template the whole process of building a specific type of document from scratch, for example a business plan, can be avoided. Every time a business plan is needed users can simply add text and other content to their template and save it.

Additionally, DOTM templates can also store Macros. Embedding them into the document's structure is done via the Macro Recorder included in MS Office which can save command sequences and create macros that can replicate them automatically.

DOTM files are based on the Open XML format which stores all content in a zipped archive. The archive contains XML and RELS files stored in three separate folders named “docProps”, “word” and "_rels". Files with the RELS extension dictate how the parts of the document connect to form a single file. This archived approach makes file content more accessible. For example images and text are stored individually within the archive.

How to open DOTM files

The contents of a DOTM file can be extracted individually by opening it with a data compression application such as WinZip or WinRAR. The XML files of a DOTM document can be opened with any basic text editor and any web browser.