Guide
How to merge PDFs with bookmarks
Updated on 24 October 2026.
Almost any program can paste PDFs one after the other, but in the result you can no longer see where each document starts. Here is how to merge PDFs with a bookmark per document, without sending them to a server.
Why a plain merge is not enough
An ordinary merge tool puts the pages of your files one after the other. The result is one long PDF in which you can no longer see where one document ends and the next one starts. For a case file someone else has to read, that is not enough. What helps:
- a bookmark per document, so the sidebar of the PDF reader shows the structure;
- an index at the front, with a link to every document;
- a label on every page, so a loose page can always be put back in place.
Be careful with online PDF tools
Many free online PDF tools process your files on their own server. For confidential documents, that raises a question you should be able to answer first: where do they go, and how long do they stay there? The CourtMerge web tool works differently. It runs in your browser, and your files do not leave your computer.
How to do it
- Open the web tool.
- Drag your PDFs or a whole folder into the window. Files that are not PDFs are left out.
- Put them in order and give each document a title. That title becomes the bookmark and the line in the index.
- Leave Make every page A4 on if you have a mix of sizes, such as an A3 plan between ordinary letters. If you want the original sizes, switch it off.
- Click Make the bundle. The download starts by itself.
Limits
- Everything happens in your browser's memory. Together the files can be about 500 MB; above that, make two bundles.
- A password-protected or damaged PDF cannot go in. The web tool tells you which files it left out.
Try it with your own documents
It costs nothing and you need no account. Your PDFs stay on your computer.
Need more?
The CourtMerge desktop app for Windows does the same, and on top of that puts your office stamp on every exhibit, makes a bundle per party, compresses large scans and saves your case files. It comes with CourtMerge Pro, €149 once.
Questions
Are my files uploaded?
No. Your browser may call picking files uploading, but the files are only read on your own computer and sent nowhere.
Can I merge a whole folder?
Yes. Drag the folder into the window or pick it with the button. Subfolders come along, and files that are not PDFs are left out.