How to merge PDFs into one file
Updated October 7, 2026
Merging PDFs lets you send one file instead of several, hand in a complete set of documents or keep everything in one place. With Merge PDF, you choose the files, drag the thumbnails into the right order and get a new PDF, created on your device.
Before you start
Gather the PDFs in one folder and check that they’re in the order you want to hand them in. If one of them has extra pages, sideways pages or blank pages, fix it first: Organize PDF rotates, deletes and reorders the pages of a file.
If you have photos or scans saved as images (JPG, PNG…), turn them into a PDF first: the guide How to turn photos into a PDF explains how. Word documents also need to be converted to PDF first: use Word to PDF.
Merging PDFs, step by step
- Open Merge PDF and drag the files into the workspace, or use the button to choose them. You can choose several at once.
- A thumbnail appears for each file. Drag the thumbnails to change the order. On a phone, press and hold a thumbnail for half a second, then drag it.
- Remove the files you don’t want and add any that are missing. If you prefer, “Sort by name” puts them in alphabetical order.
- Click “Merge PDF”. The new PDF is created on your device: download it with “Download PDF”.
What happens to the pages
Pages are copied as they are: text, images and fonts keep their original quality, and the text stays searchable. In this version, bookmarks (the outline in the sidebar) and interactive form fields from the original files may not carry over to the final PDF. And if any of the PDFs has a digital signature (for example, from a national ID card), it will no longer be valid in the final PDF: if you need it, send that document separately.
If any of the PDFs has a password, MovaDoc asks for it and uses it only on your device. The PDF you get at the end has no password: if you want to protect it, use Protect PDF afterwards.
If the result is too large
When you merge PDFs, their sizes add up. Many email services limit attachments to about 20 to 25 MB: if the final PDF is bigger than that, make it smaller with Compress PDF. The guide How to reduce the size of a PDF explains which level to choose.
What to check before you share
- Go through the PDF from start to finish: are the pages in the order you wanted?
- Is the page count the sum of the pages in the files you merged? Did any page come out sideways or blank?
- Is there personal data the recipient doesn’t need to see? Redact it before you send the file.
- Did you keep the originals? MovaDoc never changes them, because the result is always a new PDF.