How to Choose the Order When Merging PDFs and Rearrange It Later
Key points
- Follow the recipient's order if one is given
- Otherwise put the most important document first
- You can still reorder pages after merging
Choosing the order when merging PDFs is harder than it looks.
How to decide
- If specified: match the order of documents in the call for applications or instructions.
- If not specified: cover/contents → main body → attachments.
- Job or application documents: put the most important first, such as résumé → application form → transcript → recommendation.
Reorder before merging
In "Merge PDFs" the selected files appear in a list. Use "↑" and "↓" to reorder before merging. Adding numbers to file names (01_, 02_ ...) helps from the selection step.
Reorder after merging
If you have already merged, "Rotate & Reorder PDF Pages" lets you move pages one by one.
Avoiding mistakes
- Rename files so the order is obvious before merging
- After merging, skim from the first page to the last
- Compare with the required order once more before submitting
Tools that go well with this
- Compress PDF: Shrink a PDF to fit under a size you choose, for upload limits.
- Add Page Numbers to PDF: Add page numbers to a PDF, choosing position and style.
- Extract or Delete PDF Pages: Keep only the pages you need, or remove the pages you don't.