How to Merge PDF Files Into One
Combining PDFs takes about a minute and needs no software. Here is how to do it, and how to avoid the usual problems.
The quick way
- Open the Merge PDF tool.
- Click the box, or drag your PDF files into it.
- Use the arrows to put the files in the order you want.
- Click Merge PDFs. The combined file downloads automatically.
Before you merge: a short checklist
- Name your files in order. Calling them 01-cover, 02-report and 03-appendix makes the final order easy to check.
- Unlock protected files. A PDF protected with a password cannot be combined until the password is removed in the program that created it.
- Check page sizes. Mixing A4 and Letter pages works, but pages will keep their original size in the combined document.
Common reasons to merge PDFs
People most often merge PDFs to send one attachment instead of many: a CV and certificates for a job application, a month of invoices for accounting, or chapters of a report written by different people. A single file is easier to review, print and archive.
Keeping the merged file small
The merged file is roughly the sum of its parts. If the result is too big to email, run it through the Compress PDF tool, or reduce the size of the biggest inputs first. Compressing is most effective on scanned pages.
Fixing mistakes after merging
If a page ended up in the wrong place, use the Split PDF tool to extract page ranges and merge them again in the right order. If some pages are sideways, the Rotate PDF tool can fix that.
Is it private?
On EditPDF the merge runs in your browser. Your files are not uploaded to our servers, which makes it suitable for everyday documents. As with any tool, avoid shared computers for confidential files.