Microsoft is emailing Publisher users: it's gone on October 1
Microsoft has started emailing Microsoft 365 subscribers directly. The subject line: "Important update to your Microsoft 365 subscription." It confirms what Microsoft announced back in 2024, now with a firm date and a push to act: Publisher is going away, and you should convert your files to PDF or Word before then. (Subscribers are posting the notice on Microsoft's own Q&A, and it matches Microsoft's support page.)
What the email means:
- Microsoft 365 loses Publisher on October 1, 2026. Once it's removed, you can't open or edit .pub files in it.
- A perpetual license (Office 2021 or LTSC) still opens your files after that, but with no more updates or support.
- Microsoft's advice is to convert to PDF or Word. That's the right move, and you don't need Publisher installed to do it.
If you still have Publisher, export your files now. If you don't, that's exactly what we built PubConvert for: drop a .pub in your browser and it converts to PDF, Word, or IDML, no Publisher required. You can preview any file free before you pay.
For the full rundown of your options, see what happens to your .pub files when Publisher is discontinued.