How do I make sure my combined PDF is easy to navigate?

When combining, keep 'Preserve Bookmarks' turned on. This will create a bookmark for each original file. You can then click these bookmarks to quickly jump to different sections of your combined PDF.

Prepare Decision File in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Merge research notes, reference images, and vendor invoices for proposed acquisition…+

Merge research notes, reference images, and vendor invoices for proposed acquisition '[acquisition=Smith Collection - Vase]' into a single PDF dossier, organize pages by section (Notes, Images, Invoices), and save it to the [acquisitions folder] for the committee packet.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Before sending to the acquisitions committee, assemble a dossier that merges notes, labeled…+

Before sending to the acquisitions committee, assemble a dossier that merges notes, labeled images, and supplier invoices into one PDF, reorder pages into clear sections with small section dividers, add Bates numbers and a short contents page so reviewers can cite exact pages during discussion.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open Adobe Acrobat.
2
Go to File > Combine Files.
3
Click Add Files and select the PDF files you want to merge.
4
Arrange the files in your desired order by dragging and dropping them within the list.
5
Click Combine to merge the selected files into a single PDF document.
6
Save the new combined PDF to your preferred location.

In the appWith the API

You can preview and reorder files before combining to ensure the final PDF is in the correct sequence.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

Combine PDFThis is an Acrobat feature that puts many different files into one single PDF document.ExampleUsing Acrobat, you merge a series of contracts and invoices into one unified PDF document.

Source filesThese are the original documents, like Word files or images, that you want to put together.ExampleWe gathered several source files, including photos and a spreadsheet, to create the presentation.

ThumbnailsSmall preview pictures of pages or files that you can drag to change their order.ExampleYou drag the thumbnails of pages 3 and 4 to swap their positions in the document.

Who does this

3 roles

Office AdministratorLegal AssistantAcademic Coordinator

FAQ

about this task

When combining, keep 'Preserve Bookmarks' turned on.
This will create a bookmark for each original file.
You can then click these bookmarks to quickly jump to different sections of your combined PDF.

In Adobe Acrobat, 'merging' and 'combining' PDFs mean the same thing. Both actions put multiple separate PDF documents or other file types into one single PDF file. The term 'combine' is more commonly used in Acrobat's menus.

This issue can happen if the source files have internal problems or corrupted structures. Acrobat might struggle to process them correctly. To fix this, try opening each original file and using 'Save As' to create a fresh copy. Then, combine these new copies. If the problem continues, try adding files one by one to see which one causes the issue.

No, if your source files already have printed page numbers, the combined PDF will show those numbers as they were. Each new source file will likely start its page numbering again from '1'. To get continuous page numbers, you need to add new page numbers to the combined PDF after you finish combining the files.

Yes, you can automate combining files using the Adobe PDF Services API. This allows developers to integrate the combine PDF function into their applications. You can combine up to 20 files, and you also have the option to specify exact page ranges from each source file to include in the final combined PDF.

Prepare Decision File

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Video

Other guides

When it fails