How to get a Microsoft Publisher file into Google Docs
Google Docs can't open .pub files. The easiest route is to turn the .pub into Word or PowerPoint with EditMyPub, then open that in Google. Here is how, and where each route falls short.
The easy way: convert with EditMyPub
EditMyPub turns a .pub file into Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), LibreOffice Draw, a PDF and page images, all in one download. Text stays in editable text boxes, and on newsletters each linked story is re-flowed through its boxes in reading order, so the text doesn't pile up. Nothing to install: it works in any browser, including on a Chromebook.
- Upload your .pub at editmypub.com.
- Look at the free watermarked preview.
- Pay $12 for one file (or $39 for 10, $99 for 50) and download the .zip.
Then pick the file that suits Google best:
- Google Slides handles positioned boxes well. Upload the PowerPoint file to Drive and open it in Slides: here's how. A one-page flyer or a newsletter page works well as a slide.
- Google Docs: upload the Word (.docx) file to Drive and open it with Google Docs. Publisher places text in boxes anywhere on the page, and Docs is built for flowing text with limited support for floating text boxes, so check every page: boxes may move or change.
If the result doesn't work for you, you get a full refund within 30 days, no questions asked.
Other ways: rebuild the template by hand in Docs
For a weekly bulletin or monthly newsletter, you can rebuild the template once in Docs using a two- or three-column layout (Format > Columns) instead of separate boxes, then copy the text across.
The trade-off: you redo the masthead, columns and styling yourself, and you still need a readable copy of the old file to work from and copy text out of. A converted EditMyPub file gives you that model, with the text already in editable boxes, so you can copy straight from it or simply keep editing it in Word or PowerPoint.
Get started
Upload your .pub file and see the free preview before you pay. Have a folder of old files? Bulk upload takes up to 50 at once.