What is a .pub file?
A .pub file is a document made in Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft's desktop publishing app for Windows: newsletters, flyers, brochures, greeting cards, certificates, church bulletins. It won't open in Word, on a Mac or on a phone, because only Publisher reads the format, and Publisher is being retired in October 2026.
What's inside a .pub file
A .pub file is a Microsoft compound document (the same container as old .doc files) holding the page layout: every text box and its text, the fonts and colours, shapes, tables, and the pictures placed on the pages, embedded at their original resolution. Microsoft never published the format; open-source projects (the Document Liberation Project's libmspub, used by LibreOffice and by this site) have worked it out.
How to open one without Publisher
- Use the PUB viewer on this site: drop the file and page through it in your browser.
- To keep a copy that opens anywhere, convert it to PDF.
- To keep editing, convert it to Word or SVG.
Other files called .pub
- SSH public keys (
id_rsa.pub) are plain text and unrelated to Publisher. Open them in a text editor. - If a Publisher file won't convert here, check it really is one: a renamed PDF or image won't read as Publisher.
Good to know
- 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
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.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.