How to Reorder the Pages in a PDF

To reorder the pages in a PDF, open Organize PDF and drag the page thumbnails into the order you want, then save. You can rotate, delete and add pages at the same time.

A PDF in the wrong order is annoying. The scanner fed the pages in backwards, the appendix landed in the middle, or you merged files in the wrong sequence. Printing and re-scanning would take forever. Luckily, a PDF page can be moved in a few seconds.

How do I reorder pages in a PDF?

1. Open Organize PDF.
2. Click Select PDF file, or drop your file onto the page.
3. Wait a moment while thumbnails of all the pages appear.
4. Drag a page to where it belongs. The other pages move out of the way.
5. Repeat until the order is right, then click Organize PDF to build the new file.
6. Download your reordered PDF.

You can check the order by reading the small thumbnails from left to right. For a long document, scroll through once before you download.

What else can I fix on the same screen?

Organizing is not only about the order. While the thumbnails are open you can:

• Rotate a page that is sideways or upside down. Our guide How to rotate a PDF and save it permanently covers more detail.
• Delete a page you do not need. You can read more in How to remove pages from a PDF.
• Add a page, such as a blank separator.

Doing these together saves you from making and downloading several versions of the file.

What if I need to move many pages?

If you are shuffling dozens of pages, dragging every one can be slow. Use a two-step method instead:

1. Cut the document into the sections you need with Split PDF. See How to split a PDF into separate pages or files.
2. Join the sections in the order you want with Merge PDF. The article How to merge PDF files explains how to set the order.

This works well when you are combining pages from several different documents too.

Tips for a clean result

• Work on a copy. Keep the original file in case you change your mind.
• Reorder first, number last. If you add page numbers and then move pages, the numbers will be wrong. See Page numbers in a PDF for how to add them at the end.
• Check the links. If the PDF has a clickable contents page, test a few links after you reorder, because the targets may have changed.
• Look at the first and last pages. A cover that is not first, or a missing final page, is easy to miss.

Will the document look different afterwards?

No. The pages are moved, not redrawn, so the text, images and layout stay exactly as they were. Only their position changes.

Is my document private?

Yes. The pages are rearranged in your browser, and the PDF is not uploaded to our servers while you work. That is useful for contracts, reports and anything personal.

What if the PDF will not open?

A file with a password cannot be changed until you unlock it. If it opens but will not save, it may carry restrictions. See PDF passwords: the two kinds of locks for what each one means.

When is a professional better?

For simple jobs, drag and drop is plenty. If the document has bookmarks, a clickable table of contents, headers and page numbers that all need to follow the new order, an expert can make sure everything lines up. Ask for a quote and we will tell you the price before any work begins.