Publisher is being retired. Here's how to keep your files.
Microsoft has announced that Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026: Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access to the app, and bought-once versions stop getting updates. Almost nothing else opens a .pub file, so an archive of newsletters, bulletins and flyers becomes hard to open the day the app goes. The fix is to convert them now, while you know where they are.
What changes in October 2026
Microsoft 365 subscribers can't open Publisher after the retirement date, and Microsoft doesn't ship a separate viewer or converter. People with a one-time-purchase copy (Publisher 2016, 2019, 2021) can keep running it, but without security updates. Microsoft's own advice is to save each publication as PDF from inside Publisher before then, one file at a time.
How to save your .pub files
- Gather every
.pubinto one folder (search your computer and OneDrive for*.pub). - Open the bulk converter and choose that folder.
- Pick PDF to archive, and Word or SVG for anything you'll keep editing. Download the ZIP.
- Keep the original
.pubfiles too; this page will still open them after Publisher is gone.
Which format to choose
- PDF: archiving and printing. Looks like the original, opens anywhere, forever.
- Word: text you'll keep editing, like a newsletter you reuse every month.
- SVG: designs you'll keep editing in Canva, Inkscape, Affinity or Illustrator.
- JPG/PNG: sharing a flyer or invitation online.
Questions
Will my .pub files still open after October 2026?
Not in Publisher if you use it through Microsoft 365. The files themselves don't change, and this site reads them without Publisher, so you can convert them later too. Converting now simply means you don't have to think about it again.
Does Microsoft offer a converter?
No. Microsoft suggests saving as PDF from within Publisher before the retirement date, or using PowerShell to drive Publisher for a batch. Both need Publisher to still be installed.
What should I use instead of Publisher?
For newsletters and flyers, Word or Canva. For careful print layout, Affinity Publisher or the free Scribus. See alternatives to Publisher.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The converter is compiled to WebAssembly and runs in this browser tab. Open DevTools, go to the Network tab and convert a file: nothing carrying your file goes out. After the page has loaded you can even disconnect from the internet and it still works.