Table of Contents
What Should You Do Before Microsoft Publisher Is Removed from Microsoft 365 in October 2026?
Microsoft Publisher reaches end of life in October 2026; after that, it won’t be included in Microsoft 365, and Microsoft 365 subscribers won’t be able to open or edit .pub files in Publisher, so you should convert critical files before the deadline.
What changes in October 2026
Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 after October 2026, and Microsoft 365 subscribers won’t be able to open or edit Publisher files using Publisher.
Microsoft’s support notice also says you can keep using Publisher with its current functionality until October 2026.
For the perpetual (non-subscription) version, support ends on October 1, 2026, but Microsoft states you can still install and use the perpetual app beyond October 2026 even though it’s out of support.
Why file access is the real risk
If your workflow depends on Microsoft 365’s Publisher app, losing access means you may be unable to open or edit .pub originals in the tool that created them.
Microsoft’s guidance is explicit: convert existing Publisher files to another format before 10/1/2026 because after that date you will no longer be able to open or edit them in Microsoft Publisher (for affected scenarios).
What to do now (practical plan)
- Inventory: Find where .pub files live (shared drives, OneDrive, client archives) so nothing is missed before conversion.
- Convert before 10/1/2026: Microsoft recommends converting to formats like PDF (for reliable viewing/printing) and also provides guidance and a script approach to run conversions at scale.
- Choose target formats by purpose: Use PDF for “final” deliverables; use Word/PowerPoint for content you expect to revise in Microsoft apps, since Microsoft maps common Publisher scenarios into other apps.
- Keep both: Archive the original .pub plus the exported files so you preserve editability where possible and ensure long-term access.
Clarifying the licensing confusion
“End of support” does not automatically mean “your installed app stops launching,” especially for perpetual versions; Microsoft’s notice says perpetual Publisher can still be installed and used after October 2026, but it won’t be supported.
The high-risk group is Microsoft 365 subscribers because Publisher will no longer be available in Microsoft 365, and subscribers won’t be able to access Publisher from that point forward.