---
title: "Publisher to Google Docs, Drive or Slides: What Works"
description: "Google Docs and Drive can't open .pub files. Convert the Publisher file to Word text, a PDF or page images first, then use it in Docs, Drive or Slides."
url: https://aretus.app/publisher-to-google-docs
last_updated: 2026-11-03
site: Aretus
---

# How to get a Publisher file into Google Docs or Slides

> Google Docs, Drive and Slides can't open Microsoft Publisher .pub files. Drive will store one but can't preview it. Convert the file first: a Word file opens in Google Docs for the text, a PDF previews in Drive for viewing and printing, and page images go into Google Slides. Free LibreOffice Draw can make the PDF and images.

## Get a Publisher file's text into Google Docs

1. **Convert the .pub file.** Upload the .pub file to an online converter and download the Word file (and a PDF, to keep the look). Without a converter, open the file in free LibreOffice Draw and export a PDF.
2. **Upload the file to Google Drive.** Go to drive.google.com, click New, then File upload, and pick the Word file or PDF. You can also drag it into a Drive folder.
3. **Open it in Google Docs.** Double-click a Word file to open it in Google Docs. For a PDF, right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs.
4. **Save it as a Google Doc.** If the Word file opened in Office editing mode, open the File menu and save it as a Google Docs file so you can edit it like any other Doc.
5. **Check and tidy the text.** Read it through against the original. Fix headings, put any lost columns into a table, and add the pictures back if you need them.

## Can Google Docs or Google Drive open a .pub file?

No. Google Drive will [store any type of file](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603), so uploading a .pub file works. But Drive's list of files it can preview covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint and XPS from Microsoft, not Publisher. A .pub file in Drive shows no preview, and Google Docs has no Publisher import, so there's nothing to open it with.

You may read elsewhere that you can upload a .pub file and open it in Docs. Google's own help doesn't list Publisher among the files Drive can preview, and Docs won't open it. With Publisher itself [retired in October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7), the working route is to convert the .pub file first, then bring the result into Google's apps.

## Pick the right file for the job

| Google app | Bring in | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| **Google Docs** | Word file (.docx), text only | Reusing the words: articles, lists, schedules, minutes |
| **Google Drive** | PDF | Viewing, sharing and printing the page as it looked |
| **Google Slides** | PNG or JPG page images | Rebuilding a flyer, poster or sign with the old page as a guide |
| **Google Docs**, from a PDF | PDF of 2 MB or less | A quick text grab when you have no Word file |

If the .pub file is already sitting in Drive, download it first (right-click it and choose **Download**), then convert it.

## Step 1: Convert the .pub file

### Our converter, with nothing to install

The converter on this site turns each .pub file into every format in the table: a PDF, PNG and JPG images of each page (150 dpi), a text-only Word file, and an ODG file you can edit in LibreOffice Draw. It runs from any browser, including on a [Chromebook](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-chromebook); the conversion itself happens on our servers.

You see a free, watermarked preview of every page for the first 10 files in a batch before you pay, and one clean file is free per email address. After that it's a one-time payment: $5 for up to 10 files, $15 for up to 60, $29 for up to 300, or $59 for up to 2,000. Only files that convert count, there's no account to create, and everything is deleted after 24 hours. See [pricing](https://aretus.app/pricing), or start on the [converter page](https://aretus.app/) to convert a .pub file to PDF and Word text.

### Free: LibreOffice Draw

Install [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/) (free for Windows, Mac and Linux) and open the .pub file; it opens in Draw. From there you can:

- export a PDF with **File > Export as > Export as PDF**;
- export each page as a PNG or JPG, as our [page image guide](https://aretus.app/pub-to-image) shows;
- copy the text out of each text box and paste it into a Google Doc.

Draw doesn't save Word files, so for Docs you either copy and paste or go through the PDF (below). Our [LibreOffice guide](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice) covers the layout problems to check for.

## Get the text into Google Docs

From a Word file, this is the cleanest route:

1. Upload the Word file to Drive: click **New > File upload**, or drag it into a Drive folder ([Google's steps](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2424368)).
2. Double-click it. Google says this [opens the Office file in Google Docs](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6055139).
3. To keep it as a Google Doc, open the **File** menu and save it to Google Docs.

The Word file from our converter is text only: the words in reading order with basic paragraphs, including text that had overflowed its box, without the layout or pictures. That makes it easy to search, edit and paste into a new Google Docs template. For more on what a Word version can and can't keep, see [converting a Publisher file to Word](https://aretus.app/publisher-to-word).

### From a PDF instead

Google Drive can also turn a PDF into a Google Doc: right-click the PDF and choose **Open with > Google Docs**. Google's [help page](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692) sets a few conditions and warnings:

- The file should be **2 MB or smaller**, with text at least 10 pixels high.
- It works best with common fonts, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
- Bold, italics, font size, font type and line breaks are likely to be kept.
- **Lists, tables, columns, footnotes and endnotes probably won't be detected.**

Publisher pages are usually built from columns and boxes, so expect plain text that needs tidying. Keep the PDF next to it as a reference.

## Keep the look: a PDF in Google Drive

When you just need to read, share or print an old newsletter, bulletin or flyer, a PDF is the right file. Drive [previews PDFs](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603), so anyone you share the folder with can open them in the browser. For an archive of old issues, keep the PDFs in a shared folder with the same structure your .pub files had. If you have a lot of files, see our [bulk conversion guide](https://aretus.app/bulk-convert-publisher-files).

## Rebuild a flyer or poster in Google Slides

Google Slides is often the easiest free place to remake a one-page flyer, sign or poster, because you can put text and pictures anywhere on the page, as in Publisher. Slides doesn't open .pub files either, so use page images:

1. **Match the page size.** Choose **File > Page setup**, pick **Custom**, and enter the size, for example 8.5 × 11 inches ([Google's steps](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3447672)).
2. **Place the old page.** Choose **Slide > Change background**, click **Choose** next to Image, and pick the PNG or JPG. Google says background images must be .gif, .jpg or .png and less than 50 MB ([Google's steps](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/1705254)). Or use **Insert > Image > Upload from computer** ([Google's steps](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/97447)) if you want to move or resize it.
3. **Add new text on top.** Put text boxes over the parts that change. For a full rebuild, retype everything in text boxes over the image as a guide, then remove the background image.

If the finished flyer still uses the old page image, remember it's 150 dpi: plenty for screens, but it can look soft when printed. To reprint the old page exactly as it was, print the PDF.

## Google Drive apps that say they open .pub files

Drive lets you open a file with an add-on app: right-click it and choose **Open with**, then an app ([Google's help](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2500820)). A few third-party apps in the Google Workspace Marketplace list .pub among the files they view or convert. Before you use one, know that:

- **Google doesn't make them.** Google says many Drive apps come from companies with their own terms of use and privacy policies, and some ask for access to your Drive files.
- **Your file goes to their servers**, just as it does with any online converter, ours included.
- **School and work accounts may block them.** Administrators can [control which Marketplace apps](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/apps/manage-the-marketplace-app-allowlist-for-your-organization) people in their organization can install.

If you try one, test it first with a file that has nothing private in it, and check every page against the original.

## Related guides

- [How to open a Publisher file on a Chromebook](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-chromebook)
- [How to convert a Publisher file to Word](https://aretus.app/publisher-to-word)
- [How to move a Publisher file into Canva](https://aretus.app/publisher-to-canva)
- [How to open a .pub file without Publisher](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can Google Docs open a .pub file?

No. Google Docs has no Publisher import, and Google's list of files Drive can preview doesn't include Publisher. Convert the .pub file to a Word file or a PDF first, then open that in Google Docs.

### Why does Google Drive show no preview for my .pub file?

Drive stores any type of file, but it only previews the types on its list, and Publisher isn't one of them. Download the file and open it in LibreOffice Draw, or convert it to PDF, which Drive does preview.

### Can I upload a .pub file to Google Docs?

You can upload it to Google Drive, but neither Drive nor Docs will open it. Upload a converted Word file or PDF instead. A Word file opens in Google Docs when you double-click it in Drive.

### Can Google Docs turn a PDF of my Publisher file into an editable document?

Yes, for PDFs of 2 MB or less: right-click the PDF in Drive and choose Open with > Google Docs. Google says lists, tables and columns probably won't be detected, so a Publisher layout comes out as plain text that needs tidying.

### How do I put a Publisher flyer into Google Slides?

Convert each page to a PNG or JPG. In Slides, set the page size under File > Page setup, then use Slide > Change background to place the page image, and add new text boxes on top.

### Are there Google Drive apps that open .pub files?

A few third-party apps in the Google Workspace Marketplace list .pub among the files they view or convert. Google doesn't make them, they have their own terms and privacy policies, and school or work accounts may only allow apps an administrator has approved.

## Sources

1. [Google Drive Help: Files you can store in Google Drive](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603)
2. [Google Drive Help: Convert PDF and photo files to text](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692)
3. [Google Docs Editors Help: Work with Office files](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6055139)
4. [Google Drive Help: Upload files & folders to Google Drive](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2424368)
5. [Google Docs Editors Help: Change slide size & measurement units in Google Slides](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3447672)
6. [Google Docs Editors Help: Change the theme, background, or layout in Google Slides](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/1705254)
7. [Google Docs Editors Help: Insert or delete images & videos](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/97447)
8. [Google Drive Help: Use Google Drive apps](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2500820)
9. [Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage the Marketplace app allowlist for your organization](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/apps/manage-the-marketplace-app-allowlist-for-your-organization)
10. [Microsoft Support: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7)
11. [LibreOffice download page](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/)

## Cite this page

“How to get a Publisher file into Google Docs or Slides.” Aretus, last updated November 3, 2026. https://aretus.app/publisher-to-google-docs

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