Batch process
Build a recipe from steps such as remove hidden data, redact, compress, watermark, page numbers, Bates numbers, headers and footers, rotate, flatten form fields and protect, then run it on many PDFs. Files are processed one at a time, and one that fails doesn’t stop the rest. Recipes are saved in this browser. Results download as one ZIP.
What Batch process does
Batch process runs a recipe, a list of steps in order, on every PDF you add. Use it to prepare a set of documents for a court production, strip hidden data and shrink files before you email them, or mark a folder of drafts.
Files are processed one at a time in this tab. If one fails, for example because it needs a password, the others still finish and the result says which file failed and why. Bates numbers continue across the files that succeed.
How to batch process PDFs
- Drop the PDFs on the box above.
- Under Start from, pick Prepare for sharing, Court production or Watermark drafts, or build your own recipe with Add a step. Expand a step to change its settings, and move steps up or down.
- Select Run. Each file shows which step it's on. Download all the results as one ZIP, with -processed added to each file name unless you change it.
Steps you can add
| Remove hidden data | Sanitizes each file: metadata, scripts, attachments, hidden layers, thumbnails, private app data and invisible text. |
|---|---|
| Redact words or personal info | Deletes every match of the words you list, one per line, in any case, and optionally email addresses, phone numbers, IBANs, card numbers and US Social Security numbers. A file whose redaction can't be verified is left out of the results. |
| Flatten form fields | Draws each field's value onto the page as plain content and removes the fields. |
| Rotate pages | Turns every page 90° right, 180° or 90° left. |
| Watermark | Text stamped on each page. |
| Page numbers | Numbers at one of six positions. |
| Bates, header and footer | The same options as the Bates numbering tool. Numbers continue from one file to the next. |
| Compress | Light, Recommended or Strong, as in Compress PDF. |
| Protect with a password | AES-256, at least 8 characters. It has to be the last step, and the password isn't saved with the recipe. |
Limits
- Password-protected files can't be opened in a batch. Unlock them first with Unlock PDF.
- Batch redaction only finds the words and patterns you give it, and there's no review step. To check each mark or redact an area or image, use Redact PDF.
- Watermarks in a batch are text only.
- There's no OCR or conversion step, so batch redaction finds nothing on scanned pages without a text layer. Run OCR PDF on scans first.
- Files are processed one at a time in your browser, so how long a batch takes depends on your device and the size of the files.
Where your file goes
The whole batch runs in this browser tab. Your PDFs aren't uploaded.
Recipes you save stay in this browser, up to 30. Passwords from a Protect step are never saved. Export JSON saves a recipe as a file you can import on another device.
Questions
What happens if one file fails?
The batch carries on with the next file. The results list each file with notes from every step, and the reason for any file that failed. Only the files that finished go into the ZIP.
Does Bates numbering continue across the batch?
Yes. With a Bates step, the first page of each file continues from the last number of the file before it. If a file fails, the next one takes over its numbers, so the sequence has no gaps.
Can I save a recipe and use it again?
Yes. Under Save this recipe, give it a name and select Save recipe. It appears under Start from next time, in this browser. Export JSON and Import JSON move a recipe to another browser or a colleague.
Can I stop a batch halfway?
Yes. Select Cancel. Files that already finished can still be downloaded; the rest aren't processed.
Why does Protect have to be the last step?
After a file is encrypted, the other steps can't open it without the password. Put Protect at the end so every other step runs first.