Publisher wont be supported by Microsoft after the 1st of October 2026.

Question

Publisher wont be supported by Microsoft after the 1st of October 2026.

Anonymous

Can Microsoft extend the use of Publisher for an extra year for subscribers? Please.

I have been using Publisher for more than 12 years. That is the only program compatible with the sports memorabilia product we sell. Photoshop is too complex. Publisher is easy and flexible. We have more than 20 thousand products and templates saved in Publisher. I tried to convert it to PDF as suggested, but that doesn't allow me to change photos or text. Please allow the use of Publisher for extra time.

Janice 0 Reputation points

2026-10-01T15:04:07.4033333+00:00

I completely agree. We use a lot of different products but Publisher was great for many of our simpler projects that did not require the complexity of photoshop, and Word was not suitable. And is still not suitable. I will explore getting a copy that is licensed. Though we are converting to pdf as you may already know when converting over to word from pdf, many flaws occur requiring a review of the entire document. I am with you. Extend the time. We are going to lose a lot of files.

2 answers

Your answer

Janice 0 Reputation points

2026-10-01T15:04:07.4033333+00:00

I completely agree. We use a lot of different products but Publisher was great for many of our simpler projects that did not require the complexity of photoshop, and Word was not suitable. And is still not suitable. I will explore getting a copy that is licensed. Though we are converting to pdf as you may already know when converting over to word from pdf, many flaws occur requiring a review of the entire document. I am with you. Extend the time. We are going to lose a lot of files.

Answer 1

Dear @Gitana La Marque,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I sincerely understand your concern, especially given that you have built a library of over 20,000 products and templates over the last 12 years.

To address your request directly based on the current official standing from Microsoft:

Will Microsoft extend support for Publisher?

As of now, Microsoft has not announced any extension for Publisher. The official retirement date remains October 13, 2026. After this date, Publisher will be removed from Microsoft 365 subscriptions, and the application will no longer be available to open or edit your .pub files.

Options to Keep Using Publisher

While the Microsoft 365 (subscription) version will be retired, there is a specific path that may allow you to continue using the software you are comfortable with:

Perpetual Licenses (Non-Subscription): If you own or purchase a standalone (perpetual) version, such as Office Professional 2021 or a standalone Publisher 2021 license, the software will not be automatically removed from your computer in October 2026.
Important Note: While it will continue to function, it will be considered "End of Life," meaning it will no longer receive security updates or technical support. This is often the best "extra time" solution for businesses with massive legacy libraries.

A Better Way to Edit Your Templates

You mentioned that converting to PDF does not allow you to change photos or text. To maintain editability, Microsoft suggests a different transition path:

Convert to Word: You can open your Publisher files and save them as a PDF, then open that PDF directly in Microsoft Word. Word will attempt to convert the PDF into an editable document. While the layout may require minor adjustments, this allows you to keep editing text and swapping images.
Explore Microsoft Designer: For a modern, "easy and flexible" experience similar to Publisher, I recommend looking at Microsoft Designer. It is designed for non-professionals (unlike Photoshop) and uses AI to help generate layouts quickly.

I recommend reviewing the official retirement notice here for the most up-to-date guidance: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026

I know this is a significant transition for your business. I am here to help you explore every available workaround to protect your 20,000 templates.

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Sophie N 18,175 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-09T03:52:46.1333333+00:00

Dear @Gitana La Marque,

I hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to check in and see how things are going with the steps I shared earlier. If you ran into any difficulties at any point or if something is unclear, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I completely understand that these processes can sometimes be tricky, and I’m here to make it as easy as possible for you.

Feel free to share any details or questions you might have, I’m ready to listen and assist you further.

Answer 2

Microsoft has announced that Microsoft Publisher will reach end of life in October 2026 and will no longer be included in Microsoft 365. From that date, Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access Publisher or open/edit Publisher files in the Publisher app.

The documentation does not provide any option to extend access for Microsoft 365 subscribers beyond October 2026, and no additional grace period or extra year of use is described. It only states:

Publisher can be used with its current functionality until October 2026.
After that, Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to access Publisher.

To prepare, the documented guidance is to:

Convert existing .pub files to other formats before 1 October 2026:
- Open each Publisher file.
- File → Save As → choose a location → select PDF as file type → Save.
- For large volumes, use a PowerShell script to bulk-convert Publisher files to PDF, as described in the guidance and example script referenced in the Q&A.
If editing is required after retirement:
- Convert Publisher → PDF, then
- In Word: File → Open → select the PDF → OK, which converts it to an editable Word document (note that layout may change, especially with many graphics).
- Or use a third-party conversion tool to convert directly from Publisher to another editable format (quality and support vary, and Microsoft does not support these tools).
For future work, use other Microsoft 365 apps for common Publisher scenarios (e.g., Word or PowerPoint for brochures, flyers, business cards, calendars, etc.).

The available documentation does not indicate any supported way to extend Publisher usage for Microsoft 365 subscribers beyond the published retirement date.

References: