How to merge, split and reorder PDF pages without installing anything

Most PDF jobs are small and mechanical: join three scanned pages into one file, cut the covering letter off a report, put pages in the right order, or number the pages of a submission. You do not need to install a PDF suite or pay for a subscription for any of them. This guide covers each job and the small mistakes that cause trouble.

Merge: combine several PDFs into one

Use Merge PDF when you have separate files that belong together, such as an application form, an ID proof and a certificate that a portal wants as a single document.

1. Add all the files. You can select several at once.
2. Put them in the right order using the arrows. The order you see is the order of the pages in the result.
3. Click merge and download the combined file.

Have photos rather than PDFs? Images to PDF turns JPG, PNG, HEIC and other pictures into pages, and it can fix photos that came out sideways. Merge the result with your other PDFs if needed.

Split: extract the pages you need

Split PDF either pulls out a page range into a new file or cuts a document into one file per page. Page ranges use plain notation: 1-3 for the first three pages, 5 for a single page, and 1-3, 7, 10- for a mix, where a trailing dash means “to the end”.

This is the right tool when a portal accepts only certain pages, when you want to send one chapter of a long report, or when a PDF is too large to upload and you can send it in parts. Splitting never reduces quality, unlike compression. For size limits, see how to reduce PDF file size.

Organize: reorder, rotate and delete pages

Organize Pages shows a thumbnail of every page. You can:

• Drag pages into a new order. Handy when a scanner fed the pages in the wrong sequence.
• Rotate pages that came out sideways or upside down, without touching the others.
• Delete pages, such as blanks, duplicates or a cover sheet.

When you are happy, save a new PDF. Your original is never changed. If every page needs the same turn, Rotate PDF is quicker.

Number the pages

Legal bundles, assignments and long forms are easier to refer to when pages are numbered. Add Page Numbers lets you choose the position, a format such as “Page 3 of 10”, the starting number and which pages to number. A useful trick is to skip the cover page and start the numbering at 1 on the first page after it.

If the document needs a visible mark, such as DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL, use Watermark. It can place one large mark in the centre or repeat it across the page.

A typical workflow

Suppose you are assembling a document for a portal that wants one PDF under 2 MB with numbered pages:

1. Turn photos of your documents into pages with Images to PDF.
2. Merge them with any existing PDFs, in the right order.
3. Open the result in Organize Pages, then rotate or delete as needed.
4. Add page numbers.
5. Compress last, because compressing and then editing wastes the quality you traded away.

Things to watch for

• Password-protected PDFs cannot be opened by these tools. Remove the password first with the program that created it.
• Forms and signatures. Merging and reorganising can break interactive form fields and digital signatures, so finish and sign after you assemble the document.
• File limits. The tools work with files up to 50 MB, which covers most documents.

Everything here runs in your browser, so documents such as ID proofs and contracts are not uploaded. Read how that works.