Convert a .pub file to Word
Word is where most people will keep editing what used to be in Publisher. Drop the .pub here and get a .docx with all the text in reading order (headings, bold, italics, colours and fonts kept), the pictures at their placed size and tables as real Word tables.
Drop .pub files or a whole folder here
Converted in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded.
The file you get
One .docx per publication, one Word page break per Publisher page. It opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice.
Steps
- Drop the
.pubfile, several files, or a whole folder on the box above. Everything is read by JavaScript in this browser tab; the files never leave your computer. - Word is already selected.
- Click Convert and download.
What carries over
- All text, in reading order, with its formatting
- Pictures and clip art
- Tables
- Bullets and paragraph alignment
Good to know
- Word flows text down the page, so the absolute layout (boxes side by side, text over pictures) is not kept. For the layout, use PDF or SVG.
- Files from Publisher 98 through 2021 and Microsoft 365 are supported. Publisher 1.0 to 95 files, and a few unusual layouts, can't be read; the page says so instead of handing you a blank file.
Questions
Why doesn't the Word file look like the Publisher page?
Publisher places boxes anywhere on the page; Word flows text from top to bottom. This export keeps everything you wrote and the pictures, in the order you'd read them, so it's easy to keep editing. For a copy that looks identical, convert to PDF as well.
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.
Do I need Publisher installed?
No. The
.pub file is read directly, without Publisher, Office or a Microsoft account. It works on Windows, Mac, Chromebook and Linux in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.