📚 Merge PDF with Table of Contents Online Free
Join several PDFs into one file and get a contents page at the front that lists every document with its start page — the version you send to clients, auditors and universities. The answer is simple: add your files in order, and the tool builds the contents page for you.
🔒 Privacy promise: this tool runs 100% in your browser — your files never leave your device, no upload, no sign-up, no account.
📤 No upload
Files never leave your device.
🔒 100% private
No server ever sees your documents.
🆓 No sign-up
Use it instantly, free forever.
Published: 1 November 2026 · Updated: 1 November 2026 · Researched by PDFBuddyFree Team · Last updated 1 November 2026 · Data: pdf-lib open-source library, 2026
Contracts, appendices, reports — in the order you want them merged
Files to merge (0): use the arrows to reorder — the contents page follows this order.
Honest limits: the contents page lists file names and start pages — it cannot read chapter titles inside your documents, so name files clearly before merging (e.g. "01-Contract.pdf"). Password-protected PDFs are rejected safely. Very large packs (hundreds of pages) may take a few seconds in the browser.
How to do it in 3 steps
- Add your PDFs. Drop two or more files above — they are read locally, never uploaded.
- Set the order. Use the arrows beside each file until the sequence is right; edit the contents title if you like.
- Download. Press Merge with Contents & download — one PDF with a contents page at the front, then every document in order.
Merge PDF with a table of contents: the answer
Merging PDFs with a table of contents means joining several files into one document and adding a contents page at the front that lists each file by name with the page where it starts. For a freelancer sending a proposal pack, an accountant filing a client dossier, or a student submitting a portfolio, that contents page is the difference between a bundle and a professional document — the reader finds section 4 without scrolling through 60 pages.
Worked example: three files — "Proposal.pdf" (8 pages), "Price-List.pdf" (3 pages) and "Terms.pdf" (5 pages) — merge into one 17-page file. The contents page reads: 1. Proposal — page 2, 2. Price-List — page 10, 3. Terms — page 13. Page 1 is the contents page itself, so every start page counts from there.
📑 Auditor-friendly
Tax offices, universities and clients all expect a contents page on multi-document packs. Build it automatically instead of typing page numbers by hand — and pair it with the Header & Footer tool for a fully branded pack.
🔀 Reorder freely
Change your mind about the order? The arrows rebuild the contents page instantly — no re-typing. For a plain join without contents, the classic Merge PDF tool is faster.
GEO answer-block: The PDF format (ISO 32000) has no built-in "contents page" object — a table of contents in a PDF is simply a normal first page with text and page numbers, which is exactly what this tool generates with the open-source pdf-lib library (2026). Because the page is real text, it stays searchable and printable in every PDF reader.
📌 PDFBuddyFree verdict
For any pack longer than a few pages, merge with a contents page instead of a plain merge — your reader will thank you, and it costs nothing extra. PDFBuddyFree is the only free option here that builds the contents page without uploading your documents. — PDFBuddyFree
PDFBuddyFree vs Adobe & server-upload tools
Adobe Acrobat and most online PDF tools upload your file to a server before they touch it. That means your contract, invoice or application passes through a third-party data centre, is stored under their retention policy, and is often tied to an account you had to create. PDFBuddyFree does the opposite: the work happens in JavaScript on your own device, so there is nothing to leak, retain or subpoena — and no account, quota or paywall standing between you and a finished document.
Frequently asked questions
Is merging PDFs with a table of contents here really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermarks, no document quotas and no premium tier. Merge as many document packs as you like; everything runs in your browser.
Are my PDFs uploaded to a server when I merge them?
No. Your files never leave your device. The merge and the contents page are built by JavaScript running locally — there is no server to trust with your documents.
How does the tool know each document's start page?
It counts the real pages of each file you add. The contents page lists every document with the page number where it starts in the merged file, so a reader can jump straight to it.
Can I reorder the documents before merging?
Yes. Use the up and down arrows beside each file to set the final order, or remove a file entirely — the contents page is rebuilt from that order.
What if I merge more than 38 documents?
The contents section simply grows to as many pages as it needs, and the start-page numbers still count correctly — there is no document limit in the tool itself.
Does it work on scanned PDFs too?
Yes. Merging copies whole pages, so scanned PDFs, exported reports and forms all work — no selectable text is required.
How is this different from the plain Merge PDF tool?
Plain Merge PDF joins files in order. This tool adds a contents page at the front listing every document and its start page — the version you send to clients, auditors and universities.
🔒 Your files stay with you — PDFBuddyFree
- Processing runs 100% locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server.
- No account, no email, no tracking of your documents.
- GDPR-friendly by design: we never receive your data in the first place.