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How to merge PDF files on Windows

By DeckleUpdated

To merge PDF files on Windows, open Merge PDFs in Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox, drag the PDFs from File Explorer onto the page, put them in order and choose Merge PDFs. Deckle creates one new PDF and leaves the original files unchanged. In Edge and Chrome you choose where to save it; Firefox puts it in your Downloads folder. There is nothing to install, which matters on a work PC where you can't add software.

Merge PDF
Illustrated document pages containing a chart, photograph and text.
Illustration · a document can contain more than its visible pages.

How to merge PDFs on Windows with Deckle

  1. Open Merge PDFs in your browser.
  2. Select the PDFs in File Explorer and drag them onto the page, or choose Select files. You need at least two.
  3. Check the ticks under Files to merge. Only ticked files go into the merged PDF.
  4. Put the files in order. Drag a row by its handle, use the arrow buttons, or type a position and choose Move to.
  5. Optional: change Output PDF name. It starts as merged.pdf, and the .pdf extension is added if you leave it off.
  6. Choose Merge PDFs. The button stays disabled until two files are ticked and says what is missing.
  7. Save the file. Edge and Chrome open a Save As dialogue so you can pick the folder and name; Firefox saves to your download location. Open the PDF in Edge and check the first page of each source.

The result screen states the total, such as "24 pages combined from 3 PDFs", so you can compare it with the page counts of your files.

Get the order right

Deckle merges in the order of the list, not by file name or date. A folder sorted by date modified or by type in File Explorer may not match the reading order you want, so read the list from top to bottom before you merge, as if it were the contents page of the finished document.

If you forgot a file, choose Add PDFs. You can add up to 100 files in one drop. Each file keeps its page sizes and rotation, and pages are copied without re-compression, so text stays selectable and images keep their quality.

See how to merge PDF files in the right order for a longer walkthrough.

Does Windows have a built-in way to merge PDFs?

Microsoft Edge, which comes with Windows, has a built-in PDF reader. Microsoft's page on the PDF reader in Microsoft Edge lists reading and annotation features such as rotate, ink, highlight, text notes and read aloud, but no feature for combining files. To merge PDFs on Windows without installing software, use a browser tool such as Deckle.

Adobe Acrobat, a paid desktop app, can also combine files. Adobe's page Combine files into one PDF gives the Windows route as Menu > Combine files, then Add Files, arrange them and choose Combine.

Common problems on Windows

Problem Fix
A file asks for a password Make an unlocked copy with Unlock PDF, using the password you were given, then merge
You want to add a Word document Save it as a PDF from Word first. Deckle does not convert Word files
A photo or scan needs to go in Turn it into a PDF with JPG to PDF or PNG to PDF first
The files are in OneDrive Choose Select files; the file picker can open OneDrive folders on your PC. Save the result back to OneDrive yourself

Tips

  • Remove pages before merging. A blank page is easier to delete from one source than from a 60-page packet. See how to delete pages from a PDF on Windows.
  • Name the output for the reader. q3-board-pack.pdf says more than merged.pdf. Keep it to 150 characters, without slashes or characters such as : or ?.
  • Merge in batches if the browser slows down. There is no fixed page cap, but very large sets use a lot of memory.
  • Protect the merged file last. A protected PDF cannot be merged, so add a password with Password protect PDF after merging.

Frequently asked questions

How do I combine PDF files on Windows 11 for free?

Open Merge PDFs in Edge, drop the files on the page, arrange them and choose Merge PDFs. There is no charge and nothing to install.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The PDFs are merged in your browser on your PC.

Does merging keep bookmarks?

No. Bookmarks from the source files are not carried into the merged PDF.

Can I merge only some pages of a PDF?

Not directly. Take the pages you need out first with Split PDF, then merge the extract with the other files.

Related tools

Sources