Buy licensed native Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
The files people build every day show how work is really done: the assumptions in a model, the structure of a report, the argument of a deck. In their original format they carry the formulas, comments and revisions that a PDF loses. We source them from companies that wrote them for their own use, with the rights checked and the hidden details removed.
What we can source
Files are grouped by company or by project type, in bundles of related files where possible. Read how a seller prepares them in the guide on working office files.
- Spreadsheet models, trackers and schedules with their formulas
- Multi-page reports and written analyses
- Slide decks built to persuade or to report
- Plans, procedures and proposals that were used
What we leave out
Templates, boilerplate and documents written by a writing tool. Work made for a client under terms that give them the work or its confidentiality. Files with personal data, unless they pass the privacy review. Anything where the seller cannot show it wrote the file.
Hidden details and cleaning
Office files carry author names, company names, comments, tracked changes, earlier deleted text and file paths. These are removed along with the visible names, and people check the result. The seller approves a sample of files before anything is delivered.
What to put in a request
The kinds of files and the industries, the number of files you want from one source, the years, the language and whether you need bundles of related files. Starting with a small sample for review is normal and expected.
Read next
- Company operations data. Email, chat, tickets and wikis.
- Structured datasets. Tables with a result column.
- Liability. Who answers for what in a license.
Questions about buy licensed native Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
Why native files and not PDFs?
A native file keeps the formulas, structure and comments that show how the work was built, which a PDF drops. They are more useful and need more cleaning.
How do you know the files are original work?
The seller shows who made them and for what purpose, and a sample is checked for copied sections. Templates and client-supplied material are set aside.
Can we start small?
Yes. A small sample from one source is the usual first step, and a larger set follows once it passes your review.
Who is responsible if a file contains a name that was missed?
The contract states who does the cleaning and who bears the risk of it, and that is agreed case by case before delivery.
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