What is a .pub file?
Microsoft Publisher Document · Document · Microsoft · 1991
A .pub file is a Microsoft Publisher document: a page-layout file for flyers, newsletters, brochures and cards. Publisher was retired by Microsoft, so opening .pub files without it is a growing problem.
What is a .pub file used for?
Publisher was the entry-level desktop-publishing app in some Office editions, aimed at small businesses and home users rather than print professionals. A .pub file stores the page layout with text boxes, images and decorations, in an OLE2 compound file.
Microsoft retires Publisher in October 2026, and almost nothing else opens the format well: LibreOffice Draw imports many .pub files imperfectly, and online converters handle simple ones. The practical escape route is exporting to PDF from Publisher itself.
What opens a .pub file?
The .pub format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- Microsoft Publisher
- LibreOffice Draw (import)
- online converters
macOS
- LibreOffice Draw (import)
- online converters
Linux
- LibreOffice Draw (import)
- online converters
Open a .pub file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .pub. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Microsoft Publisher or LibreOffice Draw (import).
- On Mac, use LibreOffice Draw (import) or online converters.
- On Linux, try LibreOffice Draw (import) or online converters.
- Still stuck? Convert the .pub to pdf, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .pub file?
Almost always because no installed app understands Publisher. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .pub at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .pub file
You can convert a .pub file to pdf, docx, png using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
What is the .pub file signature (magic bytes)?
A .pub file starts with the hex bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1. Programs identify Publisher by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for Publisher. For a full breakdown, see the OLE2 Compound File file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 | 0 | - | OLE2 compound file |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .pub file?
A .pub file is a Microsoft Publisher document: a page-layout file for flyers, newsletters, brochures and cards. Publisher was retired by Microsoft, so opening .pub files without it is a growing problem.
How do I open a .pub file without Publisher?
Try LibreOffice Draw, which imports many .pub files with some layout drift, or an online converter to PDF. If you can reach the sender, a PDF export is the reliable answer.
Is Microsoft Publisher discontinued?
Effectively yes. Microsoft has announced that Publisher support ends in October 2026 and recommends Word and Designer instead, which is why .pub files are becoming hard to open.
Can Word open a .pub file?
No, Word does not read .pub layouts. Convert the file to PDF or DOCX first, either in Publisher or through a converter.
Related formats
Sources
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