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WHY ARE YOU DISCONTINUING PUBLISHER???????

Stephen Leskowat 25 Reputation points
2026-04-17T16:03:00.1766667+00:00

DO NOT DO THIS. The unique capabilities that Publisher provides cannot be replaced by any other product Microsoft offers. The ability to control precise text and image locations, backgrounds, transparent elements, custom pages and margins, auto alignments... To pretend these can be achieved by other software is laughable. You have created a powerful tool that many people rely on for unique capabilities. Don't enshittify your product. You have a reputation to uphold. Please continue being a quality product.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Publisher | For business
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  1. Jay Tr 12,100 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-17T17:02:36.77+00:00

    Hi @Stephen Leskowat,

    Good day, and thank you for taking the time to share your concerns so clearly.

    Microsoft Publisher has been a trusted and familiar tool for many years, and for many users it’s far more than just software—it’s a vital part of an established and efficient workflow. You’re certainly not alone in feeling frustrated about being asked to move away from something that has served you well for so long.

    If your goal is to continue using Publisher for as long as possible while preserving your current workflow, the most practical option would be to purchase a one-time, perpetual license of Office Professional 2021 before the October 2026 cutoff. This version still includes Publisher and can be installed now, even alongside your existing Microsoft 365 apps, allowing for a more gradual transition. After support ends, you may also continue using Publisher on an isolated or offline machine, provided this aligns with your security policies. This option comes closest to maintaining your existing setup with minimal change.

    At present, Office Professional 2021 is the last available version that includes Publisher. You can find more details here: Buy Microsoft Office Professional 2021 – Download, Key & Pricing

    I appreciate how important this functionality is to your workflow. For that reason, I strongly encourage you to submit feedback directly to Microsoft through the Feedback Portal. This is the most effective way to help prioritize features and influence future product decisions, benefiting both you and other users who share similar concerns.

    Please note that, as community moderators, our access to internal development details is limited. While we don’t have direct influence over product design decisions, our role is to guide users to the appropriate resources and support channels. We will, of course, continue to assist in every way possible within the scope of our responsibilities.

    Once you’ve submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here—I’d be more than happy to upvote it to help boost its visibility. If you encounter any difficulty submitting feedback, please let me know, and I’ll gladly assist by submitting it on your behalf to ensure your request is properly captured.

    As other users have raised similar concerns and may not yet know where to share their feedback, I hope this response also helps clarify the situation and suggest a constructive next step. Upvoting this information can help make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same challenge.

    Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

    Wishing you a smooth and pleasant rest of your day.

    Warm regards,

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.     

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-04-17T16:03:15.2066667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Microsoft Publisher is being retired as part of a broader effort to focus engineering and support resources on other Microsoft 365 apps and new capabilities.

    According to the published retirement notice:

    • Publisher will reach end of life in October 2026.
    • After that time, it will no longer be included in Microsoft 365, and existing on‑premises suites will no longer be supported.
    • Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher after that date.
    • Until October 2026, Publisher continues to work with its current functionality and support, and users “can expect the same experience as today.”

    The guidance provided for affected users is to prepare by converting existing .pub files to other formats before 1 October 2026:

    • To preserve layout for viewing, convert Publisher files to PDF using File → Save As → PDF.
    • For future editing, the recommended Microsoft path is:
      1. Convert the Publisher file to PDF.
      2. Open the PDF in Word (File → Open in Word) to convert it to an editable Word document, with the caveat that complex layouts and graphics may not match exactly.
    • For large libraries of .pub files, Microsoft points to using a PowerShell script to bulk convert Publisher files to PDF, and references the Document.ExportAsFixedFormat and Document.SaveAs automation options.

    For ongoing work after retirement, Microsoft directs common Publisher scenarios to other Microsoft 365 apps:

    • Ads, flyers, cards, banners, posters, brochures: Word, PowerPoint, or Designer
    • Business cards, certificates, calendars, newsletters, programs, folded projects: Word or PowerPoint
    • Envelopes, labels, letterhead, forms, invoices: Word

    Publisher’s precise layout features are not being replicated as a like‑for‑like product; instead, Microsoft is steering users to Word, PowerPoint, Designer, and templates available via Microsoft Create for similar scenarios.

    References:

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