How to merge PDF files into one
Combine separate documents into a single file, in the order you choose.
Merging is the most common PDF job there is, because documents arrive in pieces: a cover letter from one place, a CV from another, scans from a phone. The recipient wants one file.
The mechanics are simple. The parts worth thinking about are order and what happens afterwards.
The steps
- Upload at least two PDFs.
- Drag the file cards to set the order they should appear in.
- Run the tool and download the combined document.
Order is set before you merge, not after
Files combine in the order shown on screen, which is the order you uploaded them in until you change it. Drag the cards, or use the move buttons if you would rather not drag. Getting this right before running the tool is much less work than rearranging pages afterwards — though Rearrange Pages is there if you realise too late.
Password-protected parts
If every file shares one password, enter it once and it will be used to open each of them. Files with different passwords cannot be merged in a single pass: decrypt them individually first, then merge the unlocked copies.
What usually comes next
Merged bundles are the classic case for page numbers, because the numbering from the original documents no longer describes the combined file. If the result is too large to email — likely, if any part contains scans — compress it afterwards.
