How to move a church bulletin from Publisher to Google Docs

Microsoft removed Publisher from Microsoft 365 this month. If your weekly bulletin or monthly newsletter lives in a .pub file, here's how to get it into Google Docs (or Word) and keep it easy to edit before the Advent and Christmas Eve rush.

Short version: Google Docs can't open .pub files. Convert the file to Word (.docx) or PDF first, upload it to Google Drive, then rebuild the layout once as a template you reuse every week.

Step 1: Get the .pub file into a format Google can read

If a computer in the office still has Publisher: open the bulletin and use File > Save As > Word document (.docx). Save a PDF too, so you have a picture-perfect copy for reference.
If nobody has Publisher anymore: install LibreOffice (free), open the .pub file in LibreOffice Draw, and export it as a PDF. See how to convert .pub to PDF and how to convert .pub to Word.

Step 2: Upload to Google Drive

Go to Google Drive and choose New > File upload.
Right-click the uploaded .docx and choose Open with > Google Docs. Google makes an editable copy.
You can also open a PDF with Google Docs, but it pulls out the text only. Pictures and layout usually don't survive, so use the .docx when you have one.

Step 3: Fix the layout once, then reuse it

Publisher places text and pictures in free-floating boxes. Google Docs flows text top to bottom, so busy layouts shift. The fix that lasts:

Columns: use Format > Columns, or a borderless table, instead of floating text boxes.
Fixed sections (order of service, mass times, staff list, giving info): put each in its own table cell so they stay put when you type.
Placeholders: type [DATE], [READINGS], [ANNOUNCEMENTS] where the weekly details go.
Save it as your master: each week, use File > Make a copy, then fill in the placeholders.

What about old issues?

Years of past bulletins and newsletters don't need to be editable. Convert them to PDF and keep them in a shared Drive folder by year. They'll open on any computer, phone or tablet.

Short on time before Advent? Send us your .pub files and we'll convert them for you: a PDF and a Word copy of each file, $19 for up to 10 or $49 for up to 100. For the bulletin you edit every week, we rebuild it as a reusable Word and Google Docs template for $79. You can send one file free first.

See pricing

Common questions

Can Google Docs open a .pub file?

No. Google Docs and Google Drive can't open Publisher files directly. Convert the .pub to Word (.docx) or PDF first, then upload that to Google Drive.

What is the free way to convert a .pub file?

LibreOffice is free and its Draw app can open most .pub files. From there you can export a PDF. For a Word copy, export to PDF and open it in Word, or ask us to convert it for you.

Will my bulletin look the same in Google Docs?

Text comes across, but multi-column layouts, sidebars and overlapping pictures often shift. For a bulletin you edit every week, it's worth rebuilding it once as a clean template using tables or columns.

How long does it take?

Converting one file takes a few minutes. Rebuilding a weekly bulletin as a reusable template usually takes an afternoon by hand, or we can do it for you.