At Microsoft, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the tools they need to achieve what matters, in their work and life. In order to focus on new benefits, we occasionally remove features and products.
In October 2026, Microsoft Publisher will reach its end of life. After that time, it will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 and existing on-premises suites will no longer be supported. Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher. Until then, support for Publisher will continue and users can expect the same experience as today.
Many common Publisher scenarios—including creating professionally branded templates, printing envelopes and labels, and producing customized calendars, business cards, and programs—are already available in other Microsoft 365 apps such as Word and PowerPoint. For recommendations on where to start common Publisher scenarios, see below. You can also find a wide array of customizable templates at Microsoft Create.
You can continue to use Publisher with its current functionality until October 2026.
Support for the perpetual version of Publisher will end on October 1, 2026, when Office LTSC 2021 reaches end of support. Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access Publisher from that date forward.
Action Recommended: Convert your existing files to another format before 10/1/2026. After this date, you will no longer be able to open or edit these files in Microsoft Publisher.
How to prepare your files for Publishers retirement by saving them in another format.
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View content after Publishers retirement by converting to PDF format
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To convert many Publisher files consider automating this process by using a macro to convert all Publisher files in a folder to a PDF
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Edit content after Publishers retirement by either:
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Converting a Publisher file to PDF, and then a Word file.
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Steps to Convert Publisher Files to PDF
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Open Publisher file.
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Go to File > Save as.
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Choose a location to save the file.
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Select PDF as the file type and Save.
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Steps to Convert PDF Files to Word
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Open Word.
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Go to File > Open.
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Locate and open the PDF file.
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Select OK in the dialog box.
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From here your document will open as a Word file.
Note: The converted Word document will be optimized for text editing. As a result, its layout may vary from the original PDF—particularly if the document includes many graphics.
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b. Using a third-party conversion tool to convert directly from Publisher to another file type.
Note: These services vary in quality and capabilities, and Microsoft does not provide support for them.
To complete common scenarios in Publisher, we recommend the following Microsoft 365 apps:
Where to start?
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I want to create... |
Recommended App |
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Word, PowerPoint or Designer |
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Word or PowerPoint |
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PowerPoint or Designer |
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Word or PowerPoint |
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Word or PowerPoint |
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Business invoices, applications and forms |
Word |
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Word or PowerPoint |
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Word |
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Word |
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Word |
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Word |
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Word |
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Cards (Greeting, Compliment, etc.) |
Word, PowerPoint or Designer |
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Can I still install Publisher after October 2026? If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, Microsoft Publisher will no longer be available for installation or download after October 2026. However, if you have the Perpetual version of Publisher, although support will end, you will still be able to install and use the app beyond this date.
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What happens to my existing Publisher files after the end of support? If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you will no longer be able to open or edit your Publisher files using Microsoft Publisher. It is recommended to convert your existing files to PDF or Word format before this date. If you have the Perpetual version of Publisher, you will still be able to access and edit your files.
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What can I use instead of Publisher? We suggest using the recommendations provided above as starting points for common Publisher scenarios.
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How can I find my Publisher files? A file search for “.Pub” on your PC, OneDrive, or SharePoint can help you locate your Publisher files.
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I have many Publisher files; is there a way to convert them all to PDF? Yes, if you have a large number of Publisher files, you can use a macro to automate the process of bulk converting from .Pub to .PDF. There are existing online resources available that you can reference to help do this.
