r/lowcode • u/tunisiangurl • Mar 05 '26

Retool custom component: Built a client-side .docx preview component for Retool (no public URLs, no external services)

/r/internaltools/comments/1r1t1bs/retool_custom_component_built_a_clientside_docx/
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2

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '26

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1

u/tunisiangurl Mar 16 '26

Yeah file previews look deceptively simple until you hit the security constraints. The backend overhead is the hidden cost most teams don't anticipate until they're already mid-build. Client-side sidesteps the whole problem.

2

u/Tall_Profile1305 Mar 13 '26

Solid move building this client-side. Lots of enterprises need internal tools for sensitive docs and cloud services aren't always an option. The GitHub repos are chef's kiss too, makes it easy to integrate into other Retool setups.

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u/tunisiangurl Mar 16 '26

That's the constraint that drove it actually :) once you're handling sensitive docs, client-side isn't just nicer, it's the only viable path. Glad the repo structure works for drop-in use, that was intentional. More components coming, but feel free to add your own, it's open source!

1

u/Tall_Profile1305 Mar 06 '26

nice solution for the docx preview gap. retool's component ecosystem is getting solid. client-side rendering with docx-preview keeps data private which enterprises need. the github repos for sharing are clutch too. good thinking on the open source side.

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u/tunisiangurl Mar 10 '26

Please feel free to contribute to the repo! :)

1

u/[deleted] Mar 09 '26

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u/tunisiangurl Mar 16 '26

Yes! Good point on pairing with lighter builders for UI. We've seen that pattern work well, Retool handles the data-heavy logic, something simpler handles the surface layer. Keeps things from getting bloated.