How to merge PDF files on Mac and Windows

Step by step

1. Open Merge PDF. Go to the Merge PDF tool in Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox. It works the same on a Mac, a Windows PC and a Chromebook.
2. Add the PDFs. Drag all the files onto the drop zone at once, or click it and select them in the file picker. Each file appears in a list with its page count and size.
3. Put them in order. Use the up and down arrows next to each file to set the sequence. The file at the top becomes the first pages of the result.
4. Click Merge PDFs. The pages are copied into a single new document in your browser. A 200-page merge takes a couple of seconds on a recent laptop.
5. Download and check. Click Download, open the file and scroll through to confirm the order. If something is wrong, adjust the arrows and merge again; the originals are untouched.

Does Mac or Windows have a built-in PDF merge?

On a Mac, yes, though it is hidden. Open the first PDF in Preview, show the sidebar with View then Thumbnails, and drag a second PDF from Finder into the sidebar below the last page. Then choose File and Export as PDF to save the combined file. It works, but the drop target is small, dragging in the wrong place opens a new window, and the order of a dozen files is fiddly to manage.

Windows 10 and 11 have no built-in merge at all. Edge can view and annotate PDFs but cannot combine them, and the Microsoft Print to PDF printer only prints one document at a time. The usual advice is to install a third-party tool, which is exactly what a browser tool lets you avoid.

What order should the files go in?

The list order is the page order, and that is the only decision Merge PDF asks you to make. Put a cover letter or contents page at the top, the main body next and appendices last. If you are assembling a job application, a common UK order is covering letter, CV, then certificates or a portfolio. For a tenancy or mortgage pack, follow the order on the lender's checklist so their reviewer can tick items off as they scroll.

Files are added in the order you select them in the file picker, which is usually alphabetical. Naming files 01-cover.pdf, 02-cv.pdf and so on before you start means they arrive in the right order and you may not need the arrows at all.

How big will the merged file be?

Roughly the sum of the inputs. Merging does not compress anything; it copies the pages and their embedded images and fonts across. Three 4 MB scans become a 12 MB file. If the result needs to go by email, remember that Gmail and Yahoo stop at 25 MB, Outlook.com and iCloud Mail at 20 MB, and many corporate servers at 10 MB. Run the merged file through Compress PDF afterwards, where Balanced typically cuts scanned documents by 50 to 90 percent.

Can I merge only some pages from a file?

Merge PDF takes whole files, so trim first. Split PDF with Custom page ranges pulls out the pages you want as a separate PDF, and Delete PDF Pages removes the ones you do not. Run the trimmed copies through Merge PDF afterwards. If a page is the wrong way up, Rotate PDF fixes it before or after the merge; rotation is stored per page and survives merging.

The same approach handles a single file that needs reorganising. Reorder PDF Pages lets you drag thumbnails into a new sequence without splitting and merging at all.

Will the merged PDF keep links, bookmarks and form fields?

Page content, images, fonts and internal links are copied. Bookmarks (the outline panel) from the source files are not carried into the merged document, and fillable form fields are flattened to their current values in some cases, so fill a form before merging rather than after. If bookmarks matter, add them in Preview or Acrobat once the merge is done.

Is merging in the browser safe for private documents?

Yes. The merge is carried out by code running inside your browser tab, so bank statements, ID scans and signed contracts are never uploaded to a server. There is no account, no limit on the number of files and no watermark on the output. Close the tab and nothing remains anywhere except the file you downloaded.

Frequently asked questions