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How to insert one PDF into another at a specific page on a Mac

Add pages from one PDF into the middle of another on a Mac, not just at the end, with Preview's Insert Page from File, and check the order before saving.

The problem

Merging puts one file after another, but these pages belong in the middle: an amended page 7, or a form that goes right after the cover letter.

How do I add pages to the middle of a PDF on a Mac?

  1. Open the main PDF in Preview and choose View > Thumbnails.
  2. Click the page the new pages should come after.
  3. Choose Edit > Insert > Page from File and pick the other PDF.
  4. Every page of that file goes in after the selected page. Drag any that landed in the wrong place.
  5. Choose File > Save, or File > Export as PDF to keep the original as it was.

Can I drag a PDF in instead?

Yes. Drag the PDF from Finder straight into the thumbnail sidebar and drop it between the two pages where it belongs.

Can I insert just one page from another PDF?

Yes. Open both PDFs in Preview with thumbnails showing, and drag that page's thumbnail from one sidebar to the other.

How do I add a blank page to a PDF?

Click the page it should follow and choose Edit > Insert > Blank Page.

Our take

Export a copy rather than saving over the original when you insert pages. An insert is easy to get one page off, and the original is the only clean way back if a page lands in the wrong place and goes unnoticed until the document is sent.

In Simply PDF

Simply PDF's Merge is free: add the files, drag them into order and merge, with a bookmark for each original file. See merge PDFs on a Mac.

Questions

How do I add pages to the middle of a PDF on a Mac?

In Preview's thumbnail sidebar, select the page the new pages should follow, then choose Edit > Insert > Page from File.

Can I insert just one page from another PDF?

Yes. Open both PDFs in Preview and drag that page's thumbnail from one sidebar to the other.

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