Quick answer: to merge PDF files, open a PDF merger, add the files, put them in the order you want, press merge and download the single combined PDF. With a browser-based tool the files are combined on your own device, so nothing is uploaded.

One document is simpler to email, print, sign or file than several. Merging is also quick, but a few small checks make the difference between a tidy result and a muddled one.

Before you start

  • Gather the files in one folder. It is easier to select them together.
  • Check for passwords. A password-protected PDF cannot be combined until the password is removed in a PDF viewer.
  • Decide the order. The order of the files is the order of the pages in the result.

How to merge PDF files

  1. Add the files. Drop them on the Merge PDF tool or choose them from your device. You can add more at any time.
  2. Set the order. Use the up and down buttons or drag the rows. Each row shows the file size and page count, so you can spot a wrong file.
  3. Press Merge PDFs. The tool copies every page into a new document and then re-opens the result to check the page count.
  4. Download and look through it. Scroll the merged file once before you delete the originals.

What merging keeps and what it can lose

A merge that copies pages, rather than re-drawing them, keeps text sharp and selectable and leaves each page at its original size. What can be lost are document-level extras: bookmarks, and some interactive form behaviour. If those matter, test the result with a copy first.

Reordering pages inside a file

Merging puts whole files in order. To rearrange pages, use Split PDF in its single-PDF mode and type the pages in the order you want, such as 3, 1, 2. Then merge that file with the others.

If the merged file is too large

Email systems often limit attachments to around 20 to 25 MB. If the merged file is over the limit, the options are to split it into parts, to re-export the originals with lower image quality, or to use Compress PDF. The last option rebuilds pages as images, which removes selectable text, so keep the original as well.