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How to merge PDFs stored in Google Drive

By DeckleUpdated

To merge PDFs stored in Google Drive, download them from Drive, open Merge PDFs, add the downloaded files, put them in order and choose Merge PDFs. Then upload the merged PDF back to the Drive folder where you want it. Deckle works on the copies on your device; it has no connection to your Drive account, so nothing in Drive changes until you upload the result.

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

How to merge Google Drive PDFs with Deckle

  1. In Google Drive, select the PDFs. On a computer, Ctrl-click or Command-click to select several.
  2. Right-click and choose Download.
  3. Open Merge PDFs and drop the PDFs onto the page, or choose Select files.
  4. Check the ticks under Files to merge and put the files in order with the handles, the arrow buttons or Move to.
  5. Set Output PDF name, such as project-report-complete.pdf.
  6. Choose Merge PDFs and download the merged file.
  7. Upload it to the Drive folder you want, and delete the downloaded copies if you no longer need them.

The result screen tells you how many pages were combined from how many PDFs, such as "18 pages combined from 4 PDFs", a quick check before you upload.

Google describes downloading in Download a file: right-click a file and choose Download, or Ctrl-click (Command-click on a Mac) to select several first.

Shortcut on a Chromebook

On a Chromebook, Google Drive appears in the Files app, so you don't need to download first. Choose Select files in Merge PDFs and pick the PDFs from the Google Drive section of the picker. When you download the result, Chrome opens the Chromebook's save dialogue, where you can choose Google Drive and then My Drive in the left column to save it straight back to Drive. Google describes that dialogue in Open, save, or delete files on your Chromebook. See how to merge PDF files on a Chromebook.

On a phone

Download the PDFs from the Drive app first. Google gives the steps in Download a file for Android and for iPhone and iPad:

  • Android: in the Drive app, tap More next to the file, then Download.
  • iPhone and iPad: in the Drive app, tap More next to the file, then Open in > Save to Files, choose a location and tap Save.

Then choose the saved copies in Merge PDFs and upload the merged file to Drive from the Drive app.

Does Google Drive merge PDFs itself?

Google's Drive Help does not describe a way to combine PDFs. The closest built-in feature converts a PDF to an editable Google Doc. Google explains it in Convert PDF and photo files to text:

  1. In Drive, right-click the PDF.
  2. Choose Open with > Google Docs.

Google lists its limits: the file should be 2 MB or smaller, text should be at least 10 pixels high, and the document should be the right way up. Formatting such as bold and fonts is likely kept, but lists, tables, columns and footnotes are likely lost. That is useful for editing the text of one PDF, but it is not a merge, and the result is a Doc rather than the original pages.

Keep Drive tidy

  • Upload the merged file with a clear name. A name such as 2026-q3-board-pack.pdf makes it easy to find in search.
  • Decide what happens to the parts. If the merged file replaces them, move the parts into an archive folder rather than deleting them straight away.
  • Check who can see the folder. A merged pack of personal documents should not go into a folder shared with a whole team.

Order and quality

Merge PDFs joins whole files in the order of its list, not by name or the order in Drive. Each file keeps its page sizes and rotation, and pages are copied without re-compression, so text stays selectable. Bookmarks from the source files are not carried across. See how to merge PDF files in the right order.

Tips

  • Download Google Docs as PDF first. A Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file isn't a PDF. Open it, choose File > Download and pick the PDF format, as Google's Download a file page explains.
  • Unlock protected PDFs. A file that asks for a password needs an unlocked copy from Unlock PDF.
  • Convert photos stored in Drive. Download them and turn them into a PDF with JPG to PDF before merging.

Frequently asked questions

Can I merge PDFs in Google Drive without downloading them?

Not with Google Drive itself. On a Chromebook you can pick Drive files directly in the Files app. Elsewhere, download them, merge, then upload the result.

Are my files uploaded to Deckle?

No. Deckle merges the files in your browser on your device. The only upload is the one you make back to your own Drive.

Will the merged PDF replace the originals in Drive?

No. Upload it as a new file. The originals in Drive stay as they were until you move or delete them.

Can I merge Google Docs with PDFs?

Yes. Download each Doc as a PDF first, then merge all the PDFs together.

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