this shows how a document appears when viewed by a web browser, such as internet explorer

The phrase in your title — “this shows how a document appears when viewed by a web browser, such as Internet Explorer” — refers to the Web Layout View in Microsoft Word.

Direct answer

In Microsoft Word, the view that shows how a document appears when viewed in a web browser (like Internet Explorer) is called Web Layout View.

Quick Scoop

• Term: Web Layout View.

• What it does: Displays your document as it would look in a web browser, with elements flowing like a web page rather than a printed page.

• Why it exists: It helps you design Word documents that will later be saved or used as web pages, so you can preview their on-screen layout instead of print layout.

Tiny example

If you’re designing a newsletter in Word that you plan to save as a web page, switching to Web Layout View lets you see how text, images, and other elements will flow when opened in a browser window instead of how they would look on paper.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.