PDF guides

Step-by-step guides written and tested by the PDFPUMA team, with the limitations stated plainly. Each one links to a working tool.

• Updated 25 October 2026How to Add Page Numbers, Covers and Bookmarks to PDFsNumber pages the way you want (Page 1 of 9, starting at any number, on chosen pages), and turn a set of PDFs into a navigable document with a cover and bookmarks.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Automate Repetitive PDF Work with Reusable WorkflowsSave a sequence of PDF steps — watermark, page numbers, rotate, compress, merge — and run it on a whole batch of files in one go, every week.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Build a Professional Client Handover PDF PackCombine certificates, reports, warranties and photos into one branded handover pack with a cover, contents page, sections, bookmarks and page numbers.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Compare Two PDF Documents and Find ChangesSee exactly which words were added or removed between two versions of a contract, quote or policy, side by side — and what a text comparison can and can't catch.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Compress a PDF Without Ruining Its QualityLossless optimisation versus image compression: which one shrinks your PDF, what each costs you, and why some PDFs barely get smaller.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Fill Multiple PDF Forms from a CSV or SpreadsheetGenerate one completed PDF for every row of a spreadsheet — certificates, staff forms, delivery dockets — with column mapping, row checks and a ZIP download. No scripting, no uploading.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Handle Confidential PDFs More PrivatelyPractical steps for working with payslips, contracts, medical and tax documents: avoid unnecessary uploads, remove hidden data, redact properly, and protect files you send.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Make a Scanned PDF Searchable Using OCRAdd a hidden text layer to scanned PDFs so you can search, select and copy the words — without changing how the pages look. Plus how to get better accuracy.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Merge PDF Files for Free Without Uploading ThemCombine PDFs in the order you want without sending them to a server. Step-by-step, with how to check that nothing is uploaded and what to do with protected files.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Redact Sensitive Information from a PDF ProperlyWhy black boxes aren't redaction, what really removes hidden text, and how to check your redacted PDF before you send it — including metadata, comments and form fields.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Sign a PDF Online — Electronic vs Digital SignaturesAdd a drawn, typed or uploaded signature to a PDF, and understand the difference between an electronic signature image and a certificate-based digital signature.
• Updated 25 October 2026How to Split a PDF into Separate Documents AutomaticallyTurn one big scanned PDF into separate documents: split at pages containing text such as 'Tax invoice', at blank separator pages, or every N pages — with a preview before anything is exported.