Use Visio Online Preview to open Visio diagrams in browsers

Madalina Dinita
by Madalina Dinita
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies -- AI and DNA computing in... Read more
Updated:
Posted: April 2020
Affiliate Disclosure
  • If you want to open Visio diagrams in browsers, be sure there are ways to solve this issue.
  • You can use some amazing tools from Adobe's suite to open .vsd files effortlessly.
  • Another solution would be to use an online Visio viewer and solve your problem with ease.
  • For more information, keep reading our quick guide below.
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If you don’t possess a Visio license, and you don’t feel like purchasing one, rest assured there are ways to view and even edit your diagrams.

Find out how to open Visio diagrams in browsers in the following article. We’ve found some quick solutions for you, so read on.

Quick Tip

If you’re an Adobe Illustrator user, you might want to know that your favorite vector graphics software can also open .vsd files effortlessly.

Simply import Visio file in Adobe Illustrator to transform your diagrams into fully editable objects. As an alternative, you can also print to PDF and open that document with the Illustrator.

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a great software for opening Visio diagrams in browsers with ease, so be sure to try it out.

Free trialVisit website

How can I use Visio Online Preview to open Visio diagrams?

Visio Online is a tool that lets users view and share Visio drawings on the web even if they don’t have Visio installed in their machines.

Microsoft already rolled out Visio Online Preview to Office 365 commercial customers in First Release.

All you need to do is upload a .vsdx file to the cloud, OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Then all users can access the file on their browsers without installing Visio on their computers.

If you’re curious to see what this tool can do, test it, and get an idea of what it’s like.

Other features include:

  • Navigate to other pages in the file by clicking the tabs in the lower left.
  • Zoom in and out of the drawing using the slider located in the lower-right corner.
  • You can share your drawing by sending a link instead of an email attachment. Click Share in the upper right and other users can then view it in a web browser.
  • You can also view shape data: click on a shape and then select Shape Info to see its data.
  • Hyperlink support is available.

Here’s what you need to know about the Visio:

  • The tool doesn’t allow users to edit drawings, but this feature will be supported in the future.
  • Visio Online Preview works with the current versions of Edge, Chrome, and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
  • The tool is expected to be generally available by the end of this year to all Office 365 subscription plans that include Office Online.

⇒ Get Visio

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Adobe Illustrator, Visio and Visio Online

  • Simply open the Visio file, click Print, and choose the PDF output format. As an alternative, you can use a PDF editor that supports the .vsd file format such as Adobe Acrobat Pro.

  • There are numerous programs that allow you to view and even edit Visio files such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, or LibreOffice Draw (among others).

  • Yes, this tool allows you to view Visio diagrams directly in your browser without any charge. Other free software that can open .vsd files are LucidChart, Draw.io. and LibreOffice.

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