Microsoft Publisher: Reminder that support ends in October 2026

🚨 The Signal: Microsoft Publisher will reach end-of-life in October 2026, ceasing to be included with Microsoft 365. This impacts organizations using Publisher or storing .pub files, requiring migration to supported formats or applications.

The Impact

Organizations with Publisher users or .pub files face data accessibility risks post-October 2026.

• End-users: Will lose access to Publisher and .pub files, disrupting workflows.
• Data owners: Risk of inaccessible historical data stored in .pub format.
• IT administrators: Must plan and execute migration of Publisher content.
• Compliance teams: Need to update data retention and accessibility policies for legacy formats.

The Action

1. Identify all users and departments currently utilizing Microsoft Publisher.
2. Locate and inventory all .pub files stored across the organization's network and cloud services.
3. Develop a migration strategy for .pub content to supported formats (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, PDF) or alternative applications.
4. Communicate the end-of-life timeline and migration plan to affected users.
5. Update information governance and data retention policies to reflect the deprecation of .pub files.

Domain: M365-Apps · Impact: low · Workload: M365 Apps