What is a .pub file?
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A .pub file is a document made in Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft's page-layout program for Windows. It holds a designed layout, such as a newsletter, flyer, church bulletin or card, with text boxes, pictures and shapes placed on each page. Publisher opens it fully. LibreOffice Draw and converters can open most .pub files too.
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What’s inside a .pub file?
Think of a .pub file as a pasteboard. Instead of one long flow of text like a Word document, it holds separate pieces placed exactly where the designer put them:
- Text boxes, sometimes linked so an article flows from one box or page into another.
- Pictures, shapes, lines and borders.
- WordArt and other decorative headings.
- Page settings: paper size, folds (for bulletins and cards), margins and master pages with repeating headers or footers.
- Font names. Most files refer to fonts by name rather than carrying the fonts inside, so a computer without the same fonts shows substitutes.
Publisher’s .pub format was never published by Microsoft. That’s why only Publisher reads it perfectly. Other programs rely on a reverse-engineered importer called libmspub.
Which versions of Publisher made .pub files?
Microsoft Publisher first came out in 1991, and every version since has saved .pub files: Publisher 2.0, Publisher for Windows 95, 97, 98, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and the Microsoft 365 version (version history). Older versions of Publisher can struggle with files saved by newer ones.
How well the files open without Publisher depends on their age:
| Made with | Opens in LibreOffice Draw and our converter? |
|---|---|
| Publisher 1.0, 2.0, Publisher for Windows 95 | Not supported |
| Publisher 97 and 98 | Sometimes. Some files won’t open, Publisher 98 files can lose tables, and our one Publisher 97 test file came out mostly empty |
| Publisher 2000 to 2010 | Yes. LibreOffice lists Publisher 98 to 2010 as its supported range. Publisher 98 and 2000 files can lose tables and some fonts; see old Publisher files |
| Publisher 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, Microsoft 365 | Usually, though outside LibreOffice’s official list, so check every page |
If you don’t know the version, just try it. A free preview tells you more than the file date does. For more detail by version, see how to open old Publisher files.
Which programs can open a .pub file?
Can open it:
- Microsoft Publisher. One-time-purchase copies (2016, 2019, 2021) still run but no longer get updates. Microsoft 365 no longer includes Publisher.
- LibreOffice Draw, free for Windows, Mac and Linux. It opens .pub files for viewing and editing but can’t save back to .pub. See how to open a .pub file.
- Scribus, a free layout program that can import .pub files through the same libmspub importer.
- Online converters, including the one on this site, which turn a .pub into a PDF, images or other formats.
Can’t open it: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Pages, Google Docs, Canva, Affinity and Adobe InDesign. Microsoft has also never made a free Publisher viewer. To get a .pub file’s content into Word, see converting a Publisher file to Word.
Is it really a Publisher file? Two quick checks
The .pub file extension is also used for something completely different: public key files for secure logins, such as id_rsa.pub. Those usually live in a folder named .ssh, are tiny (under 1 KB), and open as a single line of text in Notepad or TextEdit. They are not documents. Leave them alone.
A real Publisher file:
- usually shows the Publisher icon on Windows computers that have, or once had, Publisher installed
- is usually much bigger than a key file, and can be several MB if it holds photos
- shows unreadable characters if you open it in Notepad (don’t save it from Notepad)
Why are .pub files suddenly a problem?
Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost access starting October 1, 2026, and support for the last one-time-purchase version ended October 13, 2026 (Microsoft’s notice). The new Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 don’t include Publisher. Your files are still there. What’s gone is the easy way to open them. The full timeline is in Microsoft Publisher end of life.
What should you do with your .pub files now?
You don’t need to panic, but it’s worth acting while people around you still have Publisher:
- Find them. Search your computer, OneDrive and shared drives for
.pub. - Keep the originals. Don’t delete .pub files after converting. Tools may get better.
- Make PDFs of anything you might need to print, share or keep as a record. You can convert a .pub file to PDF here, use LibreOffice, or ask someone with Publisher.
- Pick an editable format for anything you still update. ODG opens in LibreOffice Draw with most of the layout intact. Text-only Word files are handy for reusing the words.
- Plan where new work goes. See our honest look at Publisher alternatives.
If you have hundreds or thousands of files, read the bulk conversion guide first.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does .pub stand for?
It's short for Publisher, or publication. Microsoft Publisher saved its documents, which it called publications, with the .pub extension.
Can I just rename a .pub file to .pdf?
No. Renaming changes the label, not the contents, so the file won't open. You need to convert it, for example with LibreOffice Draw's Export as PDF or an online converter.
Is it safe to open a .pub file someone sent me?
Treat it like any Office document from someone you don't know. Publisher files can contain macros. LibreOffice and our converter only import the layout and don't run Publisher macros, but if the file is unexpected, check with the sender first.
I found a .pub file in a folder called .ssh. Is that a Publisher file?
No. Files like id_rsa.pub or id_ed25519.pub are public keys used for secure logins. They're short text files that start with something like ssh-rsa. Leave them alone and don't convert them.
Can I still create new .pub files?
Only with an older copy of Publisher you already own. Publisher isn't included in Office 2024, Office LTSC 2024 or Microsoft 365 anymore, so new work is better started in another app.
What's the difference between a .pub file and a PDF?
A .pub file is the editable working file that only Publisher fully understands. A PDF is a finished, fixed copy that opens on almost any device and prints the same everywhere.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026support.microsoft.com
- Microsoft Support: Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 FAQsupport.microsoft.com
- Wikipedia: Microsoft Publisher (version history)en.wikipedia.org
- Ask LibreOffice: Draw import filters (Microsoft Publisher 98-2010)ask.libreoffice.org
- LibreArts: Scribus gets basic support for Microsoft Publisher documentslibrearts.org
- Microsoft Support: Where is the Publisher viewer?support.microsoft.com