Preserve Header/Footer Spacing on Word Export

Feature Request: Preserve Header/Footer Spacing on Word Export

Summary:
Ensure that when exporting an appended Word document, the “from top” and “from bottom” settings for headers and footers are preserved exactly as in the original uploaded document so the exported file renders correctly and without errors.

Problem Statement:
Currently, when users upload a Word document, process it, and then export an appended version, the header and footer spacing (the “from top” and “from bottom” settings) are not consistently honored. This can cause formatting shifts, overlapping content, or export errors in the resulting document. Users expect the exported document’s header and footer layout to match the original, and the mismatch creates rework, confusion, and the risk of sending incorrectly formatted deliverables.

Proposed Solution:
Honor the original Word document’s header and footer spacing settings during the export process, including:

• Preserve the “from top” and “from bottom” values for headers and footers from the imported document.

• Apply these spacing settings consistently to all appended sections/pages in the exported document.

• If the system modifies headers/footers (e.g., for templating or pagination), ensure any adjustments still respect the original spacing constraints or provide a clear hierarchy of which settings take precedence.

• Validate the final document during export to detect and prevent layout conflicts that could cause errors, and surface clear error messages if spacing cannot be preserved for specific sections.

Benefits:

• Maintains visual and structural consistency between imported and exported Word documents.

• Reduces manual reformatting effort for users after export.

• Decreases the likelihood of export-related errors caused by header/footer layout issues.

• Improves confidence in the document generation workflow, supporting higher-quality, client-ready outputs.