PDF tools
Merge PDF files
Short answer
Combines several PDF files into a single PDF in the order you choose. The pages stay exactly as they are, and your browser does all the work itself, so no file is uploaded.
Updated
Merge PDFs
Change the order by dragging a row by its handle or by using the arrows.
Runs in your browser
Your browser processes the files itself.
No upload
Your files stay on your device.
No sign-up
You don't need an account or an email address.
No cookies
That's why there is no cookie banner here.
In 4 steps
How it works
Drag your PDFs into the box or pick them with “Choose files”. You can add more files at any time.
Put the files in the right order. Drag a row by its handle to its new place, or use the arrows next to the name.
Click “Merge”. For everyday documents this takes only a moment.
Download the finished PDF. If you change the order afterwards, simply merge again.
Background
Learn more
Why you would merge PDFs
Job applications are the most common reason. Many portals and HR departments want exactly one file with your cover letter, CV and references. If those parts are separate PDFs, you merge them here in the right order and send off a single document.
It also helps with paperwork for your tax return. Receipts for tradespeople, donation receipts or medical bills pile up as loose PDFs over the year. As one file they are easier to find, and you can send them to your accountant in one go. E-invoices in the ZUGFeRD format are better left on their own, though. Their machine-readable invoice data is attached to the PDF as a file and would be lost in the merge.
Then there are scans. Many multifunction printers save every scanned page as its own file, and the front and back of an ID card end up in two PDFs. Merging turns them back into one document with all pages.
What merging keeps
The tool takes every page as it is and appends it. It does not re-encode images or fonts. Text you could select in the original can still be selected and searched in the result.
Some things belong to the document as a whole, though. That covers the bookmarks in the sidebar, page labels (such as roman numerals in a preface), attached files, the tags screen readers use to understand the structure, and details like title and author. The tool does not carry these over. If you need them, add them to the finished PDF with a PDF app.
Why there is no upload
Job applications, payslips and bank statements are among the most personal files you have. Many online services upload them to their servers to merge them. Here the whole merge happens in your browser. You can check this yourself, for example in the “Network” tab of your browser’s developer tools. No request with your files shows up there while you merge.
Tips for the finished PDF
Give the original files clear names first, so you recognize them in the list at a glance. Check the file size before you send it. Application portals and email inboxes often have an upper limit, and a few scanned pages reach it quickly.
Formats and limits
Good to know
- Pages end up in the result file by file, in the order of the list. Within each file, the page order stays as it was.
- Every page goes into the new PDF unchanged. Text stays searchable and images are not compressed again, so the result is roughly as large as all files put together.
- Links to websites and comments stay on their pages.
- Bookmarks, page labels, file attachments such as the XML data of an e-invoice (ZUGFeRD), accessibility tags and details such as the title or author of the original files are not carried over. Links that jump within a document, for example from a table of contents, lead nowhere in the result.
- Filled-in form fields keep their contents on the page. The form features of the document do not come along, so fill in forms before you merge.
- The tool reads the first bytes of a file to tell whether it is a PDF. A photo that merely ends in .pdf is rejected with a notice.
- Encrypted PDFs are not accepted. That includes PDFs that open without a password and only carry a restriction on editing, printing or copying, such as some bank statements.
- All PDFs together can be up to 300 MB and 3,000 pages, or up to 100 MB and 1,000 pages on iPhone and iPad. A file that goes over the limit is rejected with a notice.
Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?
No. Your browser merges the files itself, and they never leave your device. Once the first PDF has been checked, the tool even works without an internet connection.
How do I change the order of the files?
Drag a row by the handle on the left to where you want it. Without a mouse, use the arrow buttons next to the file name, which you can reach with the Tab key. Whatever is at the top of the list comes first in the PDF.
Can I merge password-protected PDFs?
No, and the tool also rejects a PDF that only restricts editing. Open the file in your PDF app first, with its password if it needs one, and save it again without protection, for example via “Print” and “Save as PDF”. You can then add that new file.
Does merging reduce the quality?
No. The tool copies the pages as they are and does not re-render anything. Scanned pages look exactly as before, and you can still select and search the text.
How do I merge PDFs on an iPhone?
Open this page in Safari and tap “Choose files”. Select the PDFs in the Files app, for example from iCloud Drive or Downloads. After merging, tap “Download” to save the result back to the Files app.
Are bookmarks and the table of contents kept?
The table of contents pages stay, since they are normal pages. The bookmarks in the sidebar of your PDF app are lost, though, and so are click-through jumps within a document.