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

When combining files, keep 'Preserve Bookmarks' turned on. This makes a bookmark for each original file, so you can easily click to any part of your new PDF. It's like having a table of contents for your combined document.

Why should I keep my original files after combining them?

It is a good idea to keep your original files for a few days. This way, if you need to change something or combine the files again in a different order, you have the original documents ready. It saves you time if you need to make corrections later.

What should I do if the 'Combine Files' tool stops working or only shows the first file?

First, try saving each of your source files again using 'Save As' to refresh their internal structure. If that doesn't work, add your files to the 'Combine Files' tool one by one instead of all at once. As a last step, go to 'Help' in Acrobat and select 'Repair Installation' to fix any program issues.

◆ Acrobat · convert

Consolidated Onboarding Package

We have five new hires across operations next Monday. Create a consolidated, accessible onboarding package with polici…

1ready prompt

1real task

3roles

See the prompt↓More convert workflows

When to use it

real situations

A new employee needs to get many different documents in one place.
Someone needs to send a loan application with many parts as one file.
A person wants to put all their weekly reports together for review.

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”We have five new hires across operations next Monday. Create a consolidated, accessible…+

We have five new hires across operations next Monday. Create a consolidated, accessible onboarding package with policies, role checklists, systems access links, and a one-page quick-start. Recommend the best way to share it so it's searchable and version-controlled, and flag anything that requires HR or IT to finalize before distribution.

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 FilesAn Acrobat feature that puts multiple documents or images into a single PDF.ExampleYou use this Acrobat feature to gather several reports and images into one PDF.

BookmarkA link in a PDF that helps you jump to a specific part of the document.ExampleClicking the 'Exhibit A' bookmark takes you directly to the relevant court document.

APIA way for different software to talk to each other automatically.ExampleAn online store uses an API to automatically send shipping details to a delivery service.

Who does this

3 roles

Office AdministratorLegal AssistantAcademic Coordinator

FAQ

about this task

When combining files, keep 'Preserve Bookmarks' turned on.
This makes a bookmark for each original file, so you can easily click to any part of your new PDF.
It's like having a table of contents for your combined document.

The 'Combine Files' feature lets you take many different types of documents, like Word files, Excel sheets, images, or other PDFs, and put them all into one single PDF document. It helps you create one complete package from many separate parts.

Combining files usually does not make the PDF smaller. If your combined PDF is too large, you should use Acrobat's 'Optimize PDF' or 'Compress PDF' feature after you have combined the files. This will reduce the file size without losing too much quality.

It is a good idea to keep your original files for a few days.
This way, if you need to change something or combine the files again in a different order, you have the original documents ready.
It saves you time if you need to make corrections later.

First, try saving each of your source files again using 'Save As' to refresh their internal structure.
If that doesn't work, add your files to the 'Combine Files' tool one by one instead of all at once.
As a last step, go to 'Help' in Acrobat and select 'Repair Installation' to fix any program issues.

Consolidated Onboarding Package

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