---
title: ".pub file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .pub file is a Microsoft Publisher Document. A Publisher layout file — and Microsoft is retiring the app that makes them in October 2026. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/pub/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .pub files

**.pub file: Microsoft Publisher Document**

A Publisher layout file — and Microsoft is retiring the app that makes them in October 2026.

## What opens a .pub file

- **Windows:** Microsoft Publisher (retiring October 2026), LibreOffice Draw, Scribus
- **macOS:** LibreOffice Draw, Scribus
- **Linux:** LibreOffice Draw, Scribus

## What a .pub file is

PUB is the desktop publishing format from Microsoft Publisher, used for newsletters, flyers and church bulletins. Microsoft ends support on 1 October 2026 and removes Publisher from Microsoft 365 subscriptions on 13 October 2026, so existing files should be exported to PDF or Word now. Outside Publisher, LibreOffice Draw and Scribus both import .pub with reasonable but imperfect fidelity.

## Converting it

A .pub file is commonly converted to .pdf, .docx, .jpg or .png. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .pub
- **Full name:** Microsoft Publisher Document
- **Category:** Documents
- **Created by:** Microsoft
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .pub file?

On Windows use Microsoft Publisher (retiring October 2026); on macOS use LibreOffice Draw; on Linux use LibreOffice Draw. A Publisher layout file — and Microsoft is retiring the app that makes them in October 2026.

### What is a .pub file?

Microsoft Publisher Document. PUB is the desktop publishing format from Microsoft Publisher, used for newsletters, flyers and church bulletins. Microsoft ends support on 1 October 2026 and removes Publisher from Microsoft 365 subscriptions on 13 October 2026, so existing files should be exported to PDF or Word now.

### Can I convert a .pub file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .pdf, .docx, .jpg or .png, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.pdf — Portable Document Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/pdf/)
- [.docx — Word Document (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/docx/)
- [.xlsx — Excel Workbook (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/xlsx/)
- [.pptx — PowerPoint Presentation (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/pptx/)
- [.txt — Plain Text File](https://atoneplace.net/file/txt/)
- [.doc — Word Document (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/doc/)
- [.xls — Excel Workbook (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/xls/)
- [.ppt — PowerPoint Presentation (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/ppt/)
- [.md — Markdown Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/md/)
- [.rtf — Rich Text Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/rtf/)
- [.pages — Apple Pages Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/pages/)
- [.odt — OpenDocument Text](https://atoneplace.net/file/odt/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)