How to combine several PDFs into one file

A loan application wants your pay stubs, bank statements and ID as one file. An insurance claim wants the estimate, the photos and the police report together. Sending eight attachments invites mistakes; one PDF in the right order doesn't.

Merge them in three steps

1. Open Merge PDF and drop in all the files, or browse to pick them. They are read on your device; nothing is uploaded.
2. Drag the cards into the order you want. Left to right is the order they will appear in the finished document.
3. Press Merge and the combined PDF saves straight to your downloads.

Pages are copied across exactly as they are: text, fonts, images, links and page sizes all stay intact. There is no set limit on how many files you can combine; it depends on your device's memory, and dozens of ordinary documents merge without trouble.

Tidy the result

Merging often brings along pages you don't need, such as a blank back page or a cover sheet, or a scan that came in sideways. Open the merged file in Organize PDF to drag pages into a new order, rotate the sideways ones and delete the extras, all on one screen.

If a file won't merge

• It is password protected. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF (you need to know it), then merge the unlocked copy.
• It is damaged. If one file won't open anywhere, try Repair PDF on it first.
• It is huge. Merging adds sizes together. If the result is too big to email, run it through Compress PDF.

The files people merge for applications are some of the most personal they have: pay stubs, tax returns, IDs. Merging in your browser means none of them leave your computer.