Merge PDFs into One Clean Document
How to combine several PDFs into one file
Merge multiple PDF files into one document in the order you choose. Arrange the source files before processing, then check the page sequence in the combined result. Use this to bring an application, its supporting documents and attachments into one PDF. If only part of a source is needed, extract those pages first so unrelated material is not included.
Cost: Free to use. File size and usage limits apply.
Merge PDFs step by step
Add at least two PDFs
Click Choose PDFs and select several files at once, or drag them onto the preview area. Each file can be up to 200 MB. PDFs you already used in other tools on this site, including their results, are listed under Uploads; tick them there to add them to the merge.
Check and set the order
The Source PDF card lists your files numbered 1, 2, 3 and so on. The merged document follows this list from top to bottom, so a quick look at it before merging tells you exactly how the result will be arranged. Use ↑ and ↓ to move a file and the trash icon to take it out of the merge. Removed files stay in Uploads, and Reset empties the list without deleting anything.
Merge
Click Merge PDFs. The button stays locked until at least 2 PDFs are in the list. There are no quality or page-size options: the files are joined as they are.
Check the result and download
The preview switches to the merged document. Use the page arrows and the page counter to confirm the total number of pages and the transitions between files, then click Download merged PDF. The result is also added to Uploads, so you can open it in another PDF tool without downloading it first.
What the merged PDF keeps from your files
Pages are copied into the new file, not printed or re-rendered. That decides what stays the same and what changes.
Page content and quality
Text, vector graphics and images stay exactly as they were, with no recompression. Scanned pages remain images; merging does not add a text layer.
Page sizes and orientation
Every page keeps its own size and orientation. An A4 portrait letter followed by a landscape spreadsheet stays mixed; nothing is scaled to a common paper format.
Bookmarks
Each source file gets its own top-level bookmark, and bookmarks that already existed in a file are kept underneath it.
Document properties
Title, author and the other document properties come from the first PDF in the list. The properties of the other files are not carried over.
Getting only the pages you need, in the right order
The tool orders whole files, not single pages. If you only need part of a document, cut it out first with Split PDF: its range mode creates one PDF containing just the pages you enter, such as 1-3,5. Merge that smaller file instead of the full source.
To move individual pages after merging, open the result from Uploads in Reorder PDF Pages and type the new sequence. Page numbers there refer to the merged document.
Example: a job application made of a 1-page cover letter, a 2-page CV and a 6-page file of certificates becomes one 9-page PDF. The cover letter is page 1, the CV pages 2-3 and the certificates pages 4-9. Because the title and author come from the first file, put the file whose properties you want to keep at the top.
Formats and limits
- Input formats
- PDF only (
.pdf). Images and other file types in a selection are skipped. - Output format
- One PDF
- Maximum file size
- 200 MB per PDF
- Files per job
- 2 to 40 PDFs
- Password-protected PDFs
- Not supported if the file needs a password to open; unlock it first
- Processing
- On our servers with the open-source pdfcpu library. A job can run for up to 15 minutes.
- Watermark
- None
- Storage
- Uploads and results are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts. Paid plans can keep files longer.
Frequently asked questions
Does merging reduce the quality of my PDFs?
No. Pages are copied into the new file without being re-rendered, so images keep their original compression and text stays sharp and selectable. That is also why the tool has no quality setting: nothing is re-encoded.
Why is the merged file smaller than all my files added together?
When several files contain identical images or fonts, for example the same logo in documents exported from one template, the merged PDF can store them only once. Its internal structure is also written more compactly. The page content is unchanged. If the result is still too large for an upload form or email, run it through Compress PDF.
Can I merge password-protected PDFs?
Not if the PDF asks for a password when you open it: the merge fails with a password error. Remove the password with Unlock PDF first (you need to know it), then merge the unlocked copy from Uploads. Files that open without a password but block printing or editing can be merged; if such a file comes first in the list, the merged PDF keeps its restrictions.
Can I merge images or Word documents with my PDFs?
Only PDF files are accepted, and other file types in a selection are skipped. Save Word documents as PDF in Word first, and convert photos or scans with the Image to PDF tool. Its results appear in Uploads, where you can tick them for the merge.
Why is the Merge PDFs button greyed out?
The button unlocks once the list under Source PDF holds at least 2 files and no upload is still running. Files that have expired after the storage period disappear from Uploads and from the list, so upload them again or pick other PDFs.