PDF Workflows
Chain PDF tools into one reusable workflow and run it on many files at once, without uploading anything.
1. Your files
Drop one or many PDFs hereChoose files to get started
Each file can be up to 50MB on the free plan. One run counts as one task, however many files it has.
Processed in your browser — files never leave your device. How it works
2. Your workflow
Start from a template
Steps, in the order they run
No steps yet. Pick a template above or add your first step below.
Combine & split
Arrange pages
Add to pages
Clean up
Finish
Add at least one PDF to run this workflow.
How to Automate Repetitive PDF Tasks
Most PDF jobs are really several jobs: shrink the file, stamp it, number the pages, lock it, then do the same for the next one. Doing that by hand means opening one tool after another and feeding each result into the next. A workflow lets you describe the whole job once and run it on one file or a hundred. PDFDoco does all of it in your browser, so your documents never leave your device, and you can save the recipe for next time or send it to a colleague as a link.
- 1
Add your PDFs
Add one file or a whole batch. Each one is checked straight away, so a locked or damaged file is flagged before you start.
- 2
Build the workflow
Start from a template or add steps one by one, set their options, and drag them into order.
- 3
Run it
Watch each file move through each step. You can cancel at any time and keep whatever has already finished.
- 4
Download, save, reuse
Get one PDF, or a ZIP plus individual downloads. Save the workflow for next time or share it as a link.
Runs on your device
Every step works inside your browser tab. Your PDFs are never uploaded, not even for a moment.
Catches mistakes first
Steps in the wrong order are explained in plain words before anything runs, usually with a one-tap fix.
Reuse and share
Save workflows on this device, or send a link holding the steps. Files and passwords are never included.
Workflows you can start from
The templates cover jobs people repeat most often, and every option in them can be changed. Prepare for email compresses a file, then splits anything still over 20 MB. Legal filing adds Bates numbers that carry on from one file to the next, flattens forms and comments, and converts to PDF/A. Client delivery adds a watermark and page numbers, then locks the file. Clean up scans straightens crooked pages before compressing, and Print ready converts to grayscale and numbers the pages.
Each step uses the same engine as the tool of the same name, so if you already know Split or Merge, you already know what the step does.
How many files come out
With no Merge or Split, every file you add comes out as one finished file. A Merge step joins everything so far into one document, in the order of your file list, keeping each file's bookmarks and adding one for the file itself if you like. A Split step turns one file into several, by page count, file size, bookmarks or text, and the steps after it run on each part. The "What will happen" line under your steps shows this before you run anything. One result downloads directly; several come as a ZIP, and you can also download them one by one.
Getting the order right
Some orders simply can't work, and others work but give a worse result. Protect and PDF/A have to come last. Run Deskew before Compress, because straightening keeps the scan's original quality only while it is still the original. Compress and Grayscale redraw each page as an image, so put steps that need real text, such as Split by text, ahead of them, and expect the final text not to be selectable. The builder flags each of these as you go, explains why, and usually offers a button that fixes it.
Privacy, passwords and shared links
Nothing you add is uploaded: every step runs on your device, which is also why a run speeds up or slows down with your computer rather than a server queue. Saved workflows stay in this browser. A share link holds only the step settings, tucked into the part of the address that browsers don't send to websites, and anyone opening one sees a plain list of what it will do before anything is set up. Passwords are never saved or shared, so a workflow with a Protect step asks for the password each time.
Large files and big batches
Files are handled one at a time and each is read only when its turn comes, so a big batch uses far less memory than loading everything up front. A Merge step does need to hold what it is joining until it can build the final file. Compress, Grayscale and PDF/A redraw pages and take the longest. If a file is too much for your device, that file is reported as failed and the rest carry on. You can cancel at any time and keep what has already finished.
Pro tip: build a workflow on one small file first. Once the result looks right, save it, add the whole batch and run it again. A run counts as one task however many files it has.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PDF workflow?
A workflow is a list of PDF jobs that run one after another, such as compress, then add page numbers, then password-protect. You set it up once, then run it on as many files as you like instead of opening a separate tool for each job and re-uploading the result every time.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Every step runs in your browser on your own device, so your PDFs never leave it. The page does load some free components from public CDNs, such as the PDF renderer and, for PDF/A, open-licensed fonts, but your documents are never sent anywhere.
Can I run a workflow on many files at once?
Yes. Add as many PDFs as you like: each one goes through the steps in turn. A Merge step joins everything so far into one file, and a Split step turns one file into several, with later steps running on every part. One run counts as one task however many files it has, and on the free plan each file can be up to 50 MB.
What happens if one file fails?
The rest keep going. When the run ends you get every file that finished, plus a clear note saying which file stopped, at which step and why. A password-protected or damaged file doesn't cost you the whole batch, and if you cancel a run you keep whatever had already finished.
Why does the order of the steps matter?
Each step works on what the previous one produced. Protect has to come last because later steps can't read an encrypted file. Compress and Grayscale turn pages into images, so a text search afterwards finds nothing. PDF/A has to come last too, because any later change would undo it. The builder checks all of this and offers to fix it.
Are passwords saved or shared?
No. A password you type for the Protect step stays in memory only for as long as this page is open. It isn't written to saved workflows, it isn't put in share links, and it isn't sent anywhere. That also means nobody can recover it for you, so keep it somewhere safe.
Where are saved workflows kept, and can I use them on another device?
Saved workflows live in this browser on this device, so clearing your browser data removes them. To use one elsewhere, or to give it to a colleague, use Copy share link. The link holds only the step settings, and whoever opens it sees exactly what it will do before anything is loaded.