How to rearrange pages in a PDF (and fix pages scanned out of order)

To rearrange PDF pages, drop the file into Reorder PDF pages, drag each page card or use its arrows to move it, and save a new copy in the new order. The pages are copied as they are, so their text, size and rotation stay the same. Pages scanned from both sides often come out as 1, 3, 5, then 6, 4, 2. That needs a few extra steps, because the reorder tool cannot interleave pages by itself.

Reorder PDF pagesPages are in the wrong orderDo it free

Move pages in the reorder tool

1. Drop one PDF onto the box. Each page appears as a card with its original number and a "Now" position.
2. Drag a card by its handle to a new place, or tap the left and right arrows on a card to move it one place.
3. Use Reverse to flip the whole order, or Reset to go back to the start.
4. Press Save reordered PDF and download the file, which ends in -reordered.pdf. The original is not changed.

Thumbnails are drawn as they scroll into view, so a long file can show number placeholders for a moment before the previews appear. On a phone, drag by the handle, or tap the arrows. The arrows are the more precise choice for a single page.

Why scans come out in the wrong order

A scanner or document feeder produces pages in the order the sheets pass through it, and a double-sided job can give several patterns. Check which one you have:

What the file shows	Likely cause	Fix
The whole file runs backwards, such as 10, 9, 8	The stack was loaded in reverse	Reverse, then save
1, 3, 5, then 6, 4, 2	The front sides were scanned first, then the back sides in reverse	The two-step method below
A few single pages out of place	A sheet was loaded or fed out of turn	Drag the page, or use the arrows

Fix a scan that came out 1, 3, 5, 6, 4, 2

This method suits a double-sided scan with an even number of pages. The front half holds the odd pages in order, and the back half holds the even pages in reverse. The example below is a six-page file.

1. Split off the back half. Open Split PDF, choose Extract selected pages into one PDF, type 4-6 and save that part. Extract 1-3 the same way for the front half. The extract pages guide explains the range syntax.
2. Reverse the back half. Drop that file into Reorder PDF pages, press Reverse and save. It now reads 2, 4, 6.
3. Merge the two files with the front half first, using Merge PDF. The result reads 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 6.
4. Interleave. Back in Reorder PDF pages, move page 2 earlier by two places, so it sits after page 1, then move page 4 earlier by one place. The file now reads 1 to 6.

For a longer document, the interleave takes one move for each back page that is out of place, and each move can be several places. Before you scan the next batch, check your scanner's double-sided settings, since a scanner set up the same way tends to produce the same pattern again. If the front and back halves are not the same length, the method does not apply, so check the page count before you merge.

Move one page

To move a page a long way, drag it. For one step at a time, use the arrows. Each card shows its new position as "Now" with a number, so you can check it before you save. When the order is right, save once, and then open the result in a viewer to confirm it.

Combine files first, then put them in order

The reorder tool takes one PDF at a time. If the pages come from several files, set the order of the files first:

1. Use Merge PDF, with Move up and Move down, to put the files in order.
2. Merge them, then open the merged file in Reorder PDF pages to fix the pages inside.

Put the pages in order inside each file before you merge where you can. Fewer pages then need to move afterwards.

Delete and rotate before you save

Reorder PDF pages does not delete or turn pages. Use Delete PDF pages to remove blank scanner pages, and Rotate PDF to turn sideways ones. Each tool saves a new file, so run them one after another. Rotation changes only the setting that tells viewers which way is up, and the page content is not redrawn. The sideways page guide explains why this happens.

Mistakes to avoid

• Assuming Reverse fixes a mixed order. Reverse flips the list. It does not interleave, so it only helps when the whole file is backwards.
• Skipping the page count. The new file should have the same number of pages as the original, unless you deleted some on purpose.
• Forgetting that the output is a new file. Check the new order in a viewer before you replace the file you sent.
• Working on a locked file. A password-protected PDF needs unlocking first, with the password you have. The reorder tool cannot open it.

Follow-up questions

How do I reverse the page order of a PDF?

Drop the file into Reorder PDF pages, press Reverse, and save. Reverse affects every page. To reverse only part of a file, split that part out first, reverse it, and merge it back.

Can I rearrange pages on a phone?

Yes. Drag each page by its handle, or tap the arrows to move a page one place earlier or later.

Does reordering change the text or the size of the pages?

No. Pages are copied as they are, so their text, links, size and rotation stay the same. Only the order changes.

Can I reorder pages from two PDFs at once?

Not in one step. Merge the files first, then reorder the combined PDF, as described above.