All about VSDX files

VSDX stands for Visio Drawing XML and has been the standard format for Microsoft Visio since Visio 2013. It typically contains diagrams, technical drawings, and other graphical documents. VSDX replaced the older VSD file format. Similar to .DOCX, .PPTX, or .XLSX, VSDX is also based on the Open Packaging Convention and is technically a ZIP archive containing information in multiple XML files. Additionally, attachments of all kinds can be embedded in the VSDX file, often vector graphics such as SVG or EPS, or even PNG or JPG files.

Technical Details of the VSDX Format

The ZIP container of a VSDX file contains various XML documents that describe the different aspects of the diagram. Attachments, such as images, are stored in separate files within the archive.

A look inside the VSDX ZIP file reveals the following example structure of a simple .vsdx diagram:

• Example.vsdx/
  • [Content_Types].xml
  • _rels/
    • .rels
  • docProps/
    • app.xml
    • core.xml
    • custom.xml
    • thumbnail.emf
  • visio/
    • document.xml
    • windows.xml
    • _rels/
      • document.xml.rels
    • pages/
      • pages.xml
      • page1.xml
      • page2.xml
      • _rels/
        • pages.xml.rels
        • page1.xml.rels
    • media/
      • 1.svg
    • masters/
      • master1.xml
      • _rels/
        • master1.xml.rels
    • theme/
      • theme1.xml

The ZIP archive is thus divided into three main sections, which are also found in the other X formats from the Office suite: docProps for metadata such as author, title, and preview image; visio/ for the actual drawings with an XML file for each individual page; and _rels for the links between the files. The media folder contains all embedded media in their original resolution.

Differences from VSD

The switch from VSD to VSDX results in smaller file sizes (up to 75% smaller, according to Microsoft), improved recoverability for damaged files, and provides the foundation for collaborative editing by multiple users. SharePoint also now supports VSDX files in embedded view. In contrast to the open specification of VSDX with readable XML files, VSD is a proprietary binary—i.e., closed—format.

As of 2026, LibreOffice (Draw) can open VSDX files, but can only save in the older VSD format or the Draw equivalent, ODG.

Sources

Microsoft 365 Blog: VSDX: the new Visio file format
Microsoft Learn: Introduction to the Visio file format

Last updated on 23. March 2026 by Sören with the experience of more than 128,044,372 converted files since 2013.