Three methods extract plain editable text from a PUB file. Method 1: convert PUB to DOCX using Univik PUB Converter or Publisher’s Save As, open in Word and use Find and Replace to strip remaining formatting produces editable text with the least effort. Method 2: export PUB to PDF then run OCR reliable for scanned-style text extraction but requires an OCR tool. Method 3: open the PUB in Publisher and copy text directly fastest for short documents. All methods work best before October 2026 when Publisher is still available for the initial opening step.
Who Needs Plain Text From a PUB File
Most PUB file conversion guides assume the reader wants to preserve the layout the columns, the images, the visual design. Not everyone does.
A journalist who received a PUB file containing a press release needs the words, not the design. A lawyer extracting text from old Publisher-format contract templates needs the clauses in plain text to paste into a new document. An archivist cataloguing historical publications needs searchable text content, not a visual reproduction. A researcher pulling interview content from decade-old Publisher newsletters needs editable text to analyse.
For these use cases, the most important thing a PUB file can produce is clean, editable plain text with no text boxes, no positioning, no images competing for space. Just the words, in order, ready to use.
Method 1: PUB to DOCX, Then Strip Formatting
This is the most reliable method for extracting text from most Publisher documents. Convert the PUB to DOCX first which moves the text into a Word-compatible format then use Word’s own tools to strip the layout down to plain editable text.
Convert PUB to DOCX. Use Univik PUB Converter for batch conversion without Publisher or Publisher’s own File then Save As then Word Document for individual files. The DOCX output carries the text content forward even if the layout is imperfect. See our PUB to Word guide for a full breakdown of what survives each conversion method.
Open the DOCX in Word and review text order. Publisher text boxes can produce text in unexpected reading order after conversion. Read through the document and check that paragraphs flow in the correct sequence. Reorder any sections that converted out of sequence before the next step.
Select all and clear formatting. In Word, press Ctrl+A to select all content. Then go to Home then Styles and click Clear All. This removes all paragraph styles, custom formatting and embedded layout elements, leaving plain text with minimal residual formatting. Alternatively, paste the entire document into Notepad (Ctrl+C then open Notepad then Ctrl+V) Notepad strips all formatting and leaves pure plain text.
Save as plain text or paste into your target document. If you need a .txt file, use File then Save As then Plain Text (.txt) in Word. If you need the text in another application a case management system, a content management system, an email select all and paste. Plain text pastes without bringing any Word formatting with it.
For batch extraction across many PUB files
For extracting text from dozens or hundreds of PUB files, run the entire batch through Univik PUB Converter to DOCX, then use a macro or script to open each DOCX, select all, clear formatting and save as .txt. This scales the process without requiring Publisher to be installed for any of the steps.
Method 2: PUB to PDF, Then OCR to Text
This method is particularly useful when the PUB file contains scanned text content pages photographed or scanned rather than typed or when Method 1 produces garbled text due to complex text box arrangements in the original Publisher document.
Convert PUB to PDF. Export from Publisher (File then Export then Create PDF/XPS) or use Univik PUB Converter for batch conversion. The PDF preserves the visual layout and all text in a form that OCR tools can process reliably.
Run OCR on the PDF. Several options are available depending on your tools:
- Adobe Acrobat: Tools then Recognize Text then In This File. Acrobat runs OCR and makes the PDF’s text searchable and selectable. Then select all text and copy to extract.
- Microsoft Word: Open the PDF in Word directly (File then Open then select the PDF). Word runs OCR automatically and converts the PDF to an editable DOCX text is then selectable and editable.
- Google Drive: Upload the PDF to Google Drive, right-click and select Open with then Google Docs. Google Docs runs OCR on the PDF and opens an editable text version alongside the original PDF.
- Tesseract (free, command-line): For developers or researchers processing large batches, Tesseract is a free open-source OCR engine that produces plain text output from PDF inputs.
Review and correct OCR output. OCR accuracy depends on the source document quality. Typed text in clean Publisher documents converts at very high accuracy. Unusual fonts, small text or decorative typefaces may introduce errors. Always review OCR output for accuracy before using the text in a legal, journalistic or archival context.
Method 3: Copy Paste From Publisher Directly
For a single Publisher document where you need the text from a few pages, opening the file in Publisher and copying text directly is the fastest approach.
Open the PUB file in Publisher. This method requires Publisher to be installed and working use it while Publisher is still available, before October 2026.
Select and copy text from each text box. In Publisher, text lives in text boxes. Click inside each text box, press Ctrl+A to select all text in that box and then Ctrl+C to copy. Paste into Notepad or your target application. Repeat for each text box in the document.
Paste into Notepad to strip formatting. Paste the copied text into Notepad rather than directly into a Word document or email. Notepad strips all formatting. Copy from Notepad and paste wherever you need the clean plain text.
This method is impractical for documents with many text boxes a multi-page newsletter may have 30 to 50 separate text boxes, each requiring individual selection and copying. For anything beyond a few pages, Method 1 or Method 2 is more efficient.
Which Method for Which Situation
| Situation | Best Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Single or few documents, Publisher available | Method 3: copy-paste | Fastest for small amounts of text |
| Multiple documents, need editable text in Word format | Method 1: PUB to DOCX | Batch-able, produces editable DOCX |
| Complex text box layouts that convert in wrong order | Method 2: PUB to PDF to OCR | OCR reads from the visual layout, respecting reading order |
| Scanned or photographed content in PUB | Method 2: PUB to PDF to OCR | Only OCR can extract text from image content |
| Large archive extraction, no Publisher installed | Method 1 via Univik PUB Converter | Batch converts to DOCX without Publisher |
| Legal discovery text must be verifiably accurate | Method 2 with Adobe Acrobat OCR | Acrobat’s OCR is auditable and defensible |
Before October 2026: Act While Publisher Is Available
Methods 3 and portions of Method 1 (Publisher’s Save As DOCX) require Publisher to be installed and working. Method 1 via Univik PUB Converter and Method 2 (PDF to OCR) do not require Publisher they work equally well before and after October 2026.
If your organisation has PUB files that will need text extraction for legal discovery, historical research or content migration and those PUB files are complex layouts where text box ordering might cause problems, the safest time to do the extraction is now: while Publisher is available to verify the output against the source file.
After October 2026, M365 users lose Publisher. Verifying extraction quality against the original becomes impossible without a perpetual licence installation. For anything where text accuracy is professionally significant legal documents, published articles, archival records extract and verify before the deadline. See our PUB files October 2026 guide for the full timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to get text out of a PUB file?
If Publisher is installed: open the file, click in a text box, Ctrl+A to select all text in that box, Ctrl+C to copy, paste into Notepad. Repeat for each text box. This takes a few minutes for a short document. For anything longer than five or six pages, convert the PUB to DOCX first using Univik PUB Converter and work from the DOCX it is faster at scale.
Can I extract text from a PUB file without Publisher installed?
Yes. Univik PUB Converter converts PUB files to DOCX without Publisher installed. Open the resulting DOCX in Word and select all text. For the OCR path, export to PDF using Univik PUB Converter and then run OCR on the PDF using Word’s PDF open feature, Google Docs or Adobe Acrobat.
Is the text extracted from a PUB file accurate enough for legal use?
It depends on the method and the review process. For legal discovery or contract extraction, always verify extracted text against the original source either the original PUB file (while Publisher is still available) or a high-fidelity PDF rendered from the PUB. OCR output in particular can introduce character-level errors that affect legal meaning. Review all extracted text before relying on it in a legal context. Consult your legal team about the appropriate standard for text extraction in your specific matter.
What is the best way to extract text from a large archive of PUB files?
Batch convert all PUB files to DOCX using Univik PUB Converter. This produces one DOCX per PUB file. Use a Word macro or Python script (with the python-docx library) to open each DOCX, extract the text content and write it to a .txt file or database. This approach scales to hundreds or thousands of files without manual intervention.
Can I search the text content of PUB files in Windows without converting them?
No. Windows Search cannot index the text content of PUB files. PUB files are binary and Windows has no IFilter (the component that enables content indexing) for the PUB format. To make the text content searchable, convert the PUB files to PDF or DOCX first both formats are indexed by Windows Search and by enterprise search tools like SharePoint and Elasticsearch.
Conclusion
When layout does not matter, getting text out of a PUB file is a practical task with three reliable methods. The DOCX path is the most scalable. The OCR path is the most robust for complex layouts or scanned content. Direct copy-paste is the fastest for one or two documents.
The October 2026 deadline adds urgency for anyone using methods that require Publisher. Extract and verify now, while the original is accessible for quality checking, rather than after the application is gone.
Is the text you are extracting from PUB files for a one-off project or ongoing archival work? If ongoing, the batch DOCX path with automated text extraction scales without publisher access and handles future PUB files as they arise.