The most popular tools in Microsoft Office (now Microsoft 365) include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Most of us only use those (Outlook is a more business-oriented app), and Microsoft is retiring one of its least-used apps, Publisher, in October 2026.
Microsoft is warning Office users that it is retiring Publisher in 2026. The official support portal provides more details and steps you can take to migrate your data.
The company he says that you can convert .pub (Publisher) files to .pdf or .docx.
After the retirement date, all Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access their files in the app.
Microsoft plans to remove support for this application on October 1st, when Office LTSC 2021 reaches end of support. The intention behind this action is to reduce interest in this application over other options available in other Office applications (Word and PowerPoint).
For example, if you want to create ads or brochures, you can use templates available in Word, PowerPoint, or Designer.
What can you do now?
If you were using Publisher, you can convert your files to PDF in case you need them later.
It's useful to save some custom templates that you use frequently. You can use the Export option to convert the files to PDF. You can even use a macro to convert files in bulk - another official suggestion from Microsoft.
What you can do to convert Publisher (.pub) to PDF or other possible formats:
| Format | Conversion Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open in Microsoft Publisher → Save As → Choose PDF | Best for preserving layout | |
| Word (.DOCX) | Open in Microsoft Publisher → Save As → Choose Word Document | May lose formatting, but text remains editable |
| Image (JPG, PNG) | Open in Publisher → Export as an image | Good for sharing visually but not editable |
| Online Converters | Upload .PUB file to an online converter | May have limitations or require payment |
George is still wondering what he is doing here….
