Guide
Publisher is gone from Microsoft 365. What now?
If Publisher vanished from your computer this October, you didn’t do anything wrong. Microsoft has retired it. Your .pub files are still there, and you can still open them. Here’s what changed and what you can do.
What changed
- From 1 October 2026, Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open Publisher. Microsoft removed it in an update that rolled out over the following days, and it can’t be installed from Microsoft 365 any more.
- On 13 October 2026, support ends for the last boxed versions (Publisher 2021 and earlier). Those copies keep working, but get no more fixes.
- There is no switch to bring it back in Microsoft 365. Microsoft’s own advice is on its Publisher support page.
What happens to your .pub files
Nothing. They stay exactly where they were: on your computer, a USB stick, OneDrive or a shared drive. Nothing is deleted. What’s missing is a program that can open them, and that’s the part you can replace.
Microsoft’s advice was to open each file in Publisher and save it as a PDF before Publisher went away. If you didn’t get round to it, or someone sends you a .pub file today, that route is closed. You need a converter that reads .pub files without Publisher.
Your options now
1. Turn your files into PDFs
For anything you just need to read, print or keep: PubToPDF converts .pub files to PDF in your browser, on any computer. Drop in up to 20 files at a time for free. With a licence you can do whole folders at once, and the subfolders are kept, so an archive comes out organised the way it went in.
2. Keep editing in Word
Microsoft suggests Word for newsletters, cards and flyers. To avoid starting from a blank page, convert your .pub to a Word file: the text stays editable and the boxes and pictures stay in place. That needs a one-time licence.
3. Move to another design tool
Many churches, schools and clubs are moving to tools like Canva. Most can import a PDF, so converting to PDF first is a good starting point. Expect to fix a few fonts after importing.
4. Use an old copy of Publisher, if you have one
If an older boxed Publisher is still installed on some computer, it still opens files. Save the important ones as PDF there while you can. It’s the most faithful copy, because it’s Publisher itself.
Your files stay with you. PubToPDF doesn’t upload anything: the conversion happens inside your browser. That matters for newsletters with members’ names, school documents and anything else private.
Questions
Can I get Publisher back in Microsoft 365?
Not as part of Microsoft 365: Microsoft removed it from the subscription and it can no longer be installed or downloaded there. Older boxed versions keep running on computers where they are already installed, but they are no longer sold or updated.
Will my old .pub files stop working?
The files themselves don’t change or expire. You just need something other than Publisher to open them, such as a converter that turns them into PDF or Word files.
Is PubToPDF made by Microsoft?
No. PubToPDF is an independent tool and isn’t connected to Microsoft in any way. It reads .pub files with open-source code and its own page layout.
Should I convert everything now?
For files you still use or want to keep, yes: a PDF opens anywhere, for years. Converting a whole archive in one go is easiest with a folder: the free version takes 20 files at a time, and a licence removes the limit.
What about the Publisher templates I made?
Convert them to Word to keep editing them, or to PDF to use as a guide when you rebuild them in another tool.