Microsoft is discontinuing its desktop publishing application, Microsoft Publisher, which has been part of the Office suite for 35 years. The software will reach its end of life on October 1, 2026. After this date, Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions, and users will be unable to open or edit Publisher (.pub) files using the application. Support for perpetual versions of Publisher will also end on October 13, 2026, aligning with the end of support for Office LTSC 2021 and Consumer Office 2021.
Microsoft stated that the decision to retire Publisher is part of a strategy to focus on delivering new benefits across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The company highlighted that many common Publisher functionalities, such as creating branded templates, printing labels, and designing calendars, are already available in other Microsoft 365 applications like Word and PowerPoint. Users can also find customizable templates through Microsoft Create.
To prepare for the retirement, Microsoft advises users to convert their existing Publisher files to alternative formats before October 1, 2026. For files that only need to be viewed, shared, or printed, saving them as PDFs is recommended. For content requiring continued editing, users should convert files to Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint. Microsoft also provided a sample PowerShell script to assist with bulk conversion of Publisher files.
