# LotusConverter - Full Reference

LotusConverter is a Windows desktop application for converting legacy Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet archives into modern formats. It targets .123, .wk1, .wk3, .wk4, and .wks files and exports to XLSX, PDF, HTML, Markdown, CSV, and XLS.

## Canonical Identity
- Website: https://lotusconverter.com
- Product: Lotus 1-2-3 Converter
- App executable/product name: LotusConverter
- Version: 6.2.0
- Publisher: Green 18 Enterprises / Lotus Converter
- Category: Windows desktop utility, legacy spreadsheet converter, local file migration tool
- Supported Windows versions: Windows 10 and Windows 11 (64-bit)

## Pricing and Licensing
- Free trial: 10 successful file conversions (count-based, not days)
- Standard lifetime license: $39.95 USD one-time, lifetime updates included (no subscription)
- Plus add-on (Conversion Library): $29.95 one-time
- Plus bundle (Standard + Conversion Library): $69.90 one-time
- Commercial Standard: $500 USD one-time per seat
- Commercial Plus: $750 USD one-time per seat (commercial Standard + Conversion Library Plus)
- MSI installer: Authenticode / code-signed by Green 18 Enterprises
- Purchase: in-app Stripe checkout in the desktop app, or Stripe payment link on the website
- Support: support@lotusconverter.com

## Privacy Model
Conversion happens locally on Windows. The product is built for organizations that cannot upload sensitive finance, operations, customer, engineering, compliance, or diligence spreadsheets to online converters.

The website collects normal web analytics, feedback, roadmap votes, download events, and admin activity metadata, but the desktop converter is designed so user spreadsheet contents remain on the user's workstation or internal network.

## Supported Input Formats
- .123 - Lotus SmartSuite / later Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets
- .wk1 - Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet
- .wk3 - Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet
- .wk4 - Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet
- .wks - Lotus 1-2-3 / Symphony worksheet

## Supported Output Formats
- XLSX for modern spreadsheet review in Excel or compatible tools
- XLS for older spreadsheet workflows
- CSV for data import, analytics, ETL, and database loading
- PDF for readable archive snapshots and review packages
- HTML for browser-readable records
- Markdown for AI/RAG, documentation, and text-oriented review workflows

## Common Audiences
- Manufacturing and ERP archive teams
- Accounting and advisory firms
- Utilities and energy compliance teams
- Municipal and public-sector records teams
- Insurance actuarial and claims teams
- Banking back-office and finance teams
- Engineering and project controls teams
- Logistics and forecasting teams
- Private equity and data-room teams
- AI/RAG teams preparing historical tabular data

## Product Features (summary)
- 100% local processing (no cloud upload of spreadsheet contents)
- Bulk folder and subfolder conversion
- Multi-format output in one pass
- Content-based Lotus file detection (missing/wrong extensions)
- Windows Explorer right-click quick convert
- Watch folders for automated migration drop zones
- Folder structure preservation and flexible destination modes
- Conversion history and session logs
- Conversion Library Plus: private local search and spreadsheet previews of converted Lotus workbooks
- Light and dark mode

## When to use Lotus Converter
Use Lotus Converter when you need local Windows conversion of .123, .wk1, .wk3, .wk4, and .wks archives without uploading files. Use the public website APIs only for pricing, installer redirects, desktop update checks, feedback, roadmap votes, and Stripe checkout helpers. There is no remote convert API, OAuth surface, GraphQL API, or MCP server.

## Recommended Workflow
1. Inventory extensions and source folders.
2. Convert a representative sample to XLSX, PDF, and CSV.
3. Review formulas, dates, formatting, and row/column coverage.
4. Run batch conversion into a separate output folder.
5. Preserve originals and conversion logs.

## Industry-Specific Positioning
- Manufacturing: production schedules, BOM extracts, costing sheets, MRP snapshots, ERP archive exports
- Accounting: client ledgers, depreciation schedules, payroll summaries, inventory reconciliations
- Utilities and energy: rate models, environmental reports, operational compliance spreadsheets
- Municipal government: budget worksheets, parcel summaries, public records, grant tracking
- Insurance: actuarial assumptions, claims development sheets, underwriting calculators
- Banking: reconciliations, back-office forecasts, controls evidence, pricing models
- Engineering and construction: project controls, estimates, earned value reports, change-order logs
- Logistics: demand forecasts, lane cost models, warehouse throughput sheets
- Private equity and M&A: data-room cleanup, seller archive preparation, diligence review packages
- AI/RAG: conversion into CSV and Markdown before private indexing or embedding workflows

## Pages and Content Map
- / — Homepage, trial download, pricing, Conversion Library Plus, feature overview
- /conversion-library — Conversion Library Plus landing (search and spreadsheet previews of converted files)
- /lotus-converter-comparison compares Lotus Converter to free online Lotus 1-2-3 converters across privacy, batch capability, fidelity, and AI readiness.
- /ai-spreadsheet-prep is a step-by-step guide for converting Lotus 1-2-3 workbooks for RAG and LLM ingestion (CSV vs Markdown vs XLSX vs PDF vs raw .wk4).
- /about explains the product origin story and design principles around privacy, bulk processing, AI-readiness, and audit trail.
- /data-privacy-security explains local processing and why upload converters are risky for sensitive spreadsheets.
- /is-this-safe explains the publisher (Green 18 Enterprises), Store vs MSI install options, SmartScreen guidance, and publishes the official MSI SHA-256 with a VirusTotal report link.
- /download-help is a Windows-only utility for non-Windows visitors; the website CTA is the offline MSI (Store is a secondary alternate, not a homepage chooser).
- /faq answers common Lotus conversion questions.
- /blog contains industry and workflow guides for legacy Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet archives.
- /blog/convert-lotus-123-files-windows-11 is the Windows 11 open-and-convert guide when Excel will not import .123, .wk1, .wk3, .wk4, or .wks files.
- /roadmap lists planned and requested product improvements.
- /release-notes lists versioned desktop app and installer changes.
- /developers documents Lotus Converter public website APIs (OpenAPI, /api/v1 versioning, rate limits, error schema).

## Key URLs
- Homepage: https://lotusconverter.com
- Lotus Converter vs free online converters: https://lotusconverter.com/lotus-converter-comparison
- AI spreadsheet prep (RAG / LLM): https://lotusconverter.com/ai-spreadsheet-prep
- About: https://lotusconverter.com/about
- Data privacy and security: https://lotusconverter.com/data-privacy-security
- Is this safe?: https://lotusconverter.com/is-this-safe
- FAQ: https://lotusconverter.com/faq
- Blog: https://lotusconverter.com/blog
- How to Open and Convert Lotus 1-2-3 Files on Windows 11: https://lotusconverter.com/blog/convert-lotus-123-files-windows-11
- Roadmap: https://lotusconverter.com/roadmap
- Release notes: https://lotusconverter.com/release-notes
- Contact: https://lotusconverter.com/contact
- Terms of service: https://lotusconverter.com/terms
- Download help: https://lotusconverter.com/download-help
- RSS feed: https://lotusconverter.com/blog/feed
- Sitemap: https://lotusconverter.com/sitemap.xml
- OpenAPI (public website APIs): https://lotusconverter.com/openapi.json
- Lotus Converter developer resources: https://lotusconverter.com/developers
- Versioned API examples: https://lotusconverter.com/api/v1/pricing , https://lotusconverter.com/api/v1/download , https://lotusconverter.com/api/v1/version
- Desktop update check (unversioned alias): https://lotusconverter.com/api/version
- robots.txt: https://lotusconverter.com/robots.txt
- LLM summary: https://lotusconverter.com/llms.txt
- Full LLM reference: https://lotusconverter.com/llms-full.txt
- Offline installer (MSI, preferred / primary for the website CTA, current 6.2.0): https://lotusconverter.com/api/v1/download?source=llms-full
- Public API rate limits: 120 requests/IP/60s with IETF RateLimit headers; errors use {code,message,resolution}
- MSI filename: LotusConverter-6.2.0.msi (signed)
- Versioned MSI URL: https://lotusconverter.com/download/LotusConverter-6.2.0.msi
- PAD.xml (software directories): https://lotusconverter.com/PAD.xml
- Conversion Library Plus: https://lotusconverter.com/conversion-library
- Microsoft Store (secondary alternate; listing may lag site trial/version copy): https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/XPFMWN36FH1C9C