In WordprocessingML, document-level settings are defined in the settings.xml part. There are 98 distinct settings, all of which are optional (according to the spec at least).
The API does not provide for direct access to the settings part. A Settings proxy object is available on the Document.settings property and provides access to the document-level settings. The Document object obtains access via its document part. DocumentPart brokers all access to the settings part.
>>> document = Document()
>>> document.settings
<docx.settings.Settings object at 0xdeadbeef4>
Default settings.xml part for a new document in Word 2016:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='yes'?>
<w:settings
xmlns:m="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/math"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:r="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships"
xmlns:sl="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/schemaLibrary/2006/main"
xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
xmlns:w10="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"
xmlns:w14="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordml"
xmlns:w15="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2012/wordml"
xmlns:w16cid="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2016/wordml/cid"
xmlns:w16se="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2015/wordml/symex"
xmlns:w="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/main"
mc:Ignorable="w14 w15 w16se w16cid"
>
<w:zoom w:percent="150"/>
<w:defaultTabStop w:val="720"/>
<w:characterSpacingControl w:val="doNotCompress"/>
<w:compat>
<w:compatSetting w:name="compatibilityMode" w:uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word" w:val="15"/>
<w:compatSetting w:name="overrideTableStyleFontSizeAndJustification" w:uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word" w:val="1"/>
<w:compatSetting w:name="enableOpenTypeFeatures" w:uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word" w:val="1"/>
<w:compatSetting w:name="doNotFlipMirrorIndents" w:uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word" w:val="1"/>
<w:compatSetting w:name="differentiateMultirowTableHeaders" w:uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word" w:val="1"/>
<w:compatSetting w:name="useWord2013TrackBottomHyphenation" w:uri="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word" w:val="0"/>
</w:compat>
<w:rsids>
<w:rsidRoot w:val="005968A6"/>
<w:rsid w:val="00480A2E"/>
<w:rsid w:val="005968A6"/>
</w:rsids>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="0"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr>
<w:themeFontLang w:val="en-US"/>
<w:clrSchemeMapping w:bg1="light1" w:t1="dark1" w:bg2="light2" w:t2="dark2" w:accent1="accent1" w:accent2="accent2" w:accent3="accent3" w:accent4="accent4" w:accent5="accent5" w:accent6="accent6" w:hyperlink="hyperlink" w:followedHyperlink="followedHyperlink"/>
<w:decimalSymbol w:val="."/>
<w:listSeparator w:val=","/>
<w15:chartTrackingRefBased/>
<w15:docId w15:val="{3E989880-FF70-7C4D-8D4E-02DC7E104B81}"/>
</w:settings>
<xsd:complexType name="CT_Settings">
<xsd:sequence>
<xsd:element name="writeProtection" type="CT_WriteProtection" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="view" type="CT_View" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="zoom" type="CT_Zoom" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="removePersonalInformation" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="removeDateAndTime" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotDisplayPageBoundaries" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="displayBackgroundShape" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="printPostScriptOverText" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="printFractionalCharacterWidth" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="printFormsData" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="embedTrueTypeFonts" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="embedSystemFonts" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="saveSubsetFonts" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="saveFormsData" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="mirrorMargins" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="alignBordersAndEdges" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="bordersDoNotSurroundHeader" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="bordersDoNotSurroundFooter" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="gutterAtTop" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="hideSpellingErrors" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="hideGrammaticalErrors" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="activeWritingStyle" type="CT_WritingStyle" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
<xsd:element name="proofState" type="CT_Proof" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="formsDesign" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="attachedTemplate" type="CT_Rel" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="linkStyles" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="stylePaneFormatFilter" type="CT_StylePaneFilter" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="stylePaneSortMethod" type="CT_StyleSort" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="documentType" type="CT_DocType" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="mailMerge" type="CT_MailMerge" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="revisionView" type="CT_TrackChangesView" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="trackRevisions" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotTrackMoves" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotTrackFormatting" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="documentProtection" type="CT_DocProtect" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="autoFormatOverride" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="styleLockTheme" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="styleLockQFSet" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="defaultTabStop" type="CT_TwipsMeasure" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="autoHyphenation" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="consecutiveHyphenLimit" type="CT_DecimalNumber" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="hyphenationZone" type="CT_TwipsMeasure" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotHyphenateCaps" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="showEnvelope" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="summaryLength" type="CT_DecimalNumberOrPrecent" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="clickAndTypeStyle" type="CT_String" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="defaultTableStyle" type="CT_String" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="evenAndOddHeaders" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="bookFoldRevPrinting" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="bookFoldPrinting" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="bookFoldPrintingSheets" type="CT_DecimalNumber" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="drawingGridHorizontalSpacing" type="CT_TwipsMeasure" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="drawingGridVerticalSpacing" type="CT_TwipsMeasure" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="displayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery" type="CT_DecimalNumber" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="displayVerticalDrawingGridEvery" type="CT_DecimalNumber" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotUseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="drawingGridHorizontalOrigin" type="CT_TwipsMeasure" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="drawingGridVerticalOrigin" type="CT_TwipsMeasure" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotShadeFormData" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="noPunctuationKerning" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="characterSpacingControl" type="CT_CharacterSpacing" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="printTwoOnOne" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="strictFirstAndLastChars" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="noLineBreaksAfter" type="CT_Kinsoku" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="noLineBreaksBefore" type="CT_Kinsoku" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="savePreviewPicture" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotValidateAgainstSchema" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="saveInvalidXml" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="ignoreMixedContent" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="alwaysShowPlaceholderText" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotDemarcateInvalidXml" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="saveXmlDataOnly" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="useXSLTWhenSaving" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="saveThroughXslt" type="CT_SaveThroughXslt" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="showXMLTags" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="alwaysMergeEmptyNamespace" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="updateFields" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="hdrShapeDefaults" type="CT_ShapeDefaults" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="footnotePr" type="CT_FtnDocProps" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="endnotePr" type="CT_EdnDocProps" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="compat" type="CT_Compat" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="docVars" type="CT_DocVars" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="rsids" type="CT_DocRsids" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element ref="m:mathPr" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="attachedSchema" type="CT_String" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
<xsd:element name="themeFontLang" type="CT_Language" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="clrSchemeMapping" type="CT_ColorSchemeMapping" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotIncludeSubdocsInStats" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotAutoCompressPictures" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="forceUpgrade" type="CT_Empty" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="captions" type="CT_Captions" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="readModeInkLockDown" type="CT_ReadingModeInkLockDown" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="smartTagType" type="CT_SmartTagType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
<xsd:element ref="sl:schemaLibrary" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="shapeDefaults" type="CT_ShapeDefaults" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="doNotEmbedSmartTags" type="CT_OnOff" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="decimalSymbol" type="CT_String" minOccurs="0"/>
<xsd:element name="listSeparator" type="CT_String" minOccurs="0"/>
</xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>