Open Publisher files in Google Docs and Google Drive

Why Google can't open .pub files

A .pub file is saved in Microsoft Publisher's own format, which only Publisher fully understands. Google never added support for it: Drive shows a .pub file as an unknown file with no preview, and Open with offers no Google app. Since Microsoft retired Publisher in 2026, there is no new version to install either, which is why so many schools, churches and offices that run on Google Workspace are now left with folders of files nobody can open.

Google handles two formats very well, though: PDF, which Drive previews and shares, and Word, which Docs can open and edit. Converting each .pub file into both covers everything you'll want to do with it.

Step by step: from .pub to Google Drive

1. Get the .pub files onto your computer. If they are already in Drive, select them (or the whole folder) and choose Download. Drive gives you a ZIP, which you can upload as it is.
2. Upload the files, the folder or the ZIP in the box above. Each file shows a preview within seconds.
3. Download the PDF and Word files. For many files, a one-time plan gives you one ZIP with a PDF and a Word file next to each original, in your folder structure.
4. Upload them back to Drive. Drag the files or the unzipped folder into Drive. PDFs preview instantly and can be shared with a link like any other file.

Edit the text in Google Docs

To change the words, open the Word (.docx) file with Google Docs: in Drive, right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs. Docs makes an editable copy and leaves the original Word file in place.

Publisher pages are laid out with boxes: a headline here, two columns of text there, a picture in the corner. The Word file keeps that layout by putting each piece in its own text box at the same spot. Google Docs is built for flowing text rather than page layouts, so it handles this differently from Word:

• Small changes work well: a new date on a flyer, this year's names on a certificate, a corrected phone number.
• Text that flowed from one column to the next doesn't keep flowing in Docs when you add a lot of words. Shorten or move text by hand.
• Busy pages may shift a little on screen. Check the result before you print or share it.

For bigger edits to complex pages like newsletters and brochures, open the same Word file in Word for the web instead. It's free with a Microsoft account, runs in Chrome on a Chromebook, and keeps linked text boxes working. Then save as PDF and put that in Drive.

Which file to keep in Drive

• PDF for anything people only need to read or print: past bulletins, newsletters, programs, forms. It looks the same on every device and Drive search finds the words inside.
• Word or Google Docs for anything you'll reuse with changes: templates, certificates, yearly calendars, sign-up sheets.
• Images (JPG or PNG) for Google Slides or a Google Sites page. Both are offered next to the PDF; see PUB to JPG.

Keep the original .pub files in a folder too. They take little space and you can convert them again later.

Moving a whole shared drive

If years of Publisher files sit in a shared drive, download the folder from Drive, drop the ZIP on the upload box, and upload the converted folder back. Folder names are kept, so the new folder mirrors the old one with a PDF and a Word file beside each .pub. More tips on large archives are on the bulk conversion page.

What to expect from the conversion

• Fonts that came with Microsoft Office are replaced with metric-compatible fonts, so line breaks stay where they were while letter shapes can differ slightly.
• Very old files from Publisher 98 or 2000 convert with lower accuracy. See old Publisher files.
• The preview is free for every file, so you can check the result before you pay for anything.

Privacy

Your files are used only to make your downloads. Free uploads are deleted automatically 24 hours after upload and paid ones after 7 days. PubRescue never asks for access to your Google account. See the privacy policy.