Why Word and PowerPoint won't open it
A .pub file is Publisher's own format. Word, PowerPoint, Pages, Google Docs and Canva can't read it, and double-clicking it on a computer without Publisher usually gives a "How do you want to open this file?" box with nothing useful in it. Since Publisher left Microsoft 365 in October 2026, many people who opened these files for years suddenly can't.
How to open it here
- Drop the .pub file anywhere on this page, or press Choose .pub files and pick it.
- Wait a moment while the converter reads it. A large file with lots of pictures can take a few seconds.
- Look through the pages. Click a page in the strip to see it large.
- Press Download PDF to keep a copy that opens anywhere, or Print.
Your file never leaves your computer. The converter is downloaded to your browser once, then it works on the file right there. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and it still works.
What comes through
Text, with its sizes, colours, bold and italic; photos; old clip art; shapes, lines and coloured boxes; tables; and linked text boxes that continue a story from one column to the next. Fonts that aren't free to share are drawn in a close stand-in: Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Calibri and Cambria are matched exactly in width, so lines break where they did in Publisher. Other fonts may wrap a little differently.
If it won't open
The page tells you why in plain words. The usual reasons are that the file isn't really a Publisher file (it may be a PDF or Word document with the wrong name), that it came from Publisher 95 or earlier, or that it was damaged when it was copied. If you have another copy, such as an email attachment or a backup, try that one.
If you need to edit it
This page is for seeing, saving and printing. To change the text, copy it out with Text, or open the file in LibreOffice Draw, which is free. Our editing guide goes through the choices.