What does the Merge PDF tool do?
Merging combines several PDFs: chapters, invoices, scans: into a single document that is easier to share, print and archive.
Files are read and combined with a PDF engine running inside your browser. Drag entries to set the order; nothing is sent to any server.
Typical merges: application packets (form + ID + certificates in required order), monthly invoices into one statement, chapter files into a single manuscript, and scans from a phone camera roll into one document. Order matters in all of them: which is why reordering before merging is built in.
Getting the order right the first time
Order is where merges go wrong, and it is easier to fix before the merge than after. Two habits prevent most of it. Number the files before you add them, because a name that sorts correctly for a human ("Annexure 10") often does not sort correctly as text, where 10 lands between 1 and 2. And check the direction of scanned batches: a document fed through a sheet feeder frequently arrives with the last page first.
If a merged file comes out wrong, you have not lost anything. The sources are untouched on your device, so reordering and merging again costs one click.
Assembling a submission packet
Most portals that ask for one PDF also specify the sequence: the filled form, then photo identification, then proof of address, then certificates, in that order and nothing else. Assembling it in that order in one pass is faster than merging everything and fixing it afterwards, and it avoids the most common rejection, which is a packet that contains the right documents in the wrong sequence.
Two checks before sending. Confirm the page count matches what the portal expects, because a duplicate scan is easy to miss inside a combined file. And check the total size against the upload cap: if the packet is over, compress it after merging rather than before, so you compress once.
Frequently asked questions
Can I merge password-protected PDFs?
Owner-restricted files (printing/copying locked) usually merge fine; files that require a password just to open cannot be read by any tool without that password.
Do bookmarks and links survive merging?
Page content survives byte-for-byte; document-level extras like bookmarks belong to the source file and are not carried into the combined document.
Are my documents uploaded?
No: merging happens locally. Your PDFs never leave your device, which matters for contracts and financial documents.
Is there a limit on how many PDFs I can merge?
No fixed limit. Dozens of files work fine; total size is bounded only by your browser memory.
Will merging change quality?
No: pages are copied as-is into the new document, byte-identical in content.
Can I mix page sizes?
Yes. Each page keeps its own size and orientation in the merged file.