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name: pdf-merger description: Merge multiple PDF files into single document with customizable options. Supports page selection, bookmarks, and metadata. Use when combining PDFs, creating documents from multiple sources, or organizing PDF collections.

PDF Merger

Overview

Merge multiple PDF files into a single document with control over page order, bookmarks, and metadata.

Quick Start

Basic Merge

Merge all PDFs in directory:

Copypython scripts/merge-pdfs.py --input *.pdf --output merged.pdf

Selective Merge

Merge specific files in order:

Copypython scripts/merge-pdfs.py --input cover.pdf content.pdf appendix.pdf --output document.pdf

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Combine Report Sections

Merge multiple chapter PDFs into complete report:

Copypython scripts/merge-pdfs.py \
  --input ch1.pdf ch2.pdf ch3.pdf references.pdf \
  --output complete-report.pdf \
  --add-bookmarks

Use Case 2: Extract and Recombine Pages

Merge specific pages from different sources:

Copy# See references/page-selection.md for syntax
python scripts/merge-pdfs.py \
  --input "doc1.pdf[1-5,10]" "doc2.pdf[3-8]" \
  --output combined.pdf

Use Case 3: Add Metadata

Merge PDFs with custom metadata:

Copypython scripts/merge-pdfs.py \
  --input *.pdf \
  --output merged.pdf \
  --title "Project Documentation" \
  --author "Your Name" \
  --subject "Technical Documentation"

Features

• ✓ Merge unlimited PDFs
• ✓ Preserve formatting and links
• ✓ Page selection syntax
• ✓ Bookmark generation
• ✓ Metadata customization
• ✓ Progress reporting

Script Options

Copypython scripts/merge-pdfs.py [options]

Required:
  --input FILES       PDF files to merge (space-separated)
  --output FILE       Output PDF filename

Optional:
  --add-bookmarks     Create bookmark for each source file
  --title TEXT        Set PDF title metadata
  --author TEXT       Set PDF author metadata
  --subject TEXT      Set PDF subject metadata
  --verbose           Show detailed progress

Advanced Features

For advanced usage including page ranges, rotation, and custom ordering, see references/advanced-merging.md.

For comparison of PDF libraries (PyPDF2, pypdf, pdfrw), see references/pdf-libraries-comparison.md.

Troubleshooting

Issue: "Corrupted PDF" Error

Cause: Source PDF has format issues Fix: Try repairing with python scripts/repair-pdf.py input.pdf

Issue: Large Output File

Cause: Images not compressed Fix: Use --compress flag to reduce file size

Issue: Bookmarks Not Created

Cause: Missing --add-bookmarks flag Fix: Add flag to command

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Version: 1.0 Last Updated: October 25, 2025 Example Type: Medium skill (SKILL.md + references + script)