Merge PDFs from Dropbox Using PDF.co and Zapier

6 Minutes Read

What is Zapier?

Zapier is an online automation tool that connects your favorite apps, such as Gmail, Slack, Mailchimp, and over 1,500 more. You can connect two or more apps to automate repetitive tasks without coding or relying on developers to build the integration. It’s easy enough that anyone can build their own app workflows with just a few clicks.

We prepared this step-by-step tutorial with screenshots on how to make a Zap using PDF.co to merge PDF documents.

Automatically combine a new PDF in Dropbox with a standard PDF cover sheet, then save the merged document back to Dropbox.

IN THIS TUTORIAL

Prepare Your Dropbox Files

Set Up the Dropbox Trigger

Retrieve the Cover Sheet

Configure PDF.co

Test and Save the Result

Step 1: Prepare Your Dropbox Files

Create separate folders for incoming PDFs and merged results. Store your reusable cover-sheet PDF outside the incoming folder.

Upload a sample PDF to the incoming folder.

Step 2: Set Up the Dropbox Trigger

Create a Zap and select Dropbox → New File in Folder.

Connect your Dropbox account and configure:

Space: Select the appropriate Dropbox space, if applicable.
Folder: Select your incoming PDF folder.
Include sharing link?: Enable this option.

Test the trigger and select your sample PDF.

Step 3: Retrieve the Cover Sheet

Add Dropbox → Find File.

Select the folder containing your cover sheet and enter its filename. Enable the sharing-link option and test the action to confirm that the correct PDF is returned.

Use the Direct Media Link output for each PDF when configuring the merge. This is the Dropbox input recommended in the PDF.co file-source documentation.

Step 4: Configure PDF.co

Add PDF.co → PDF Merger.

Connect your PDF.co account using OAuth by signing in and authorizing Zapier.

Set the following fields:

Source Files URLs: Insert the cover sheet’s Direct Media Link, type a comma, then insert the incoming PDF’s Direct Media Link.
Automatically Convert Non-PDF Files: Select No, since both inputs are PDFs.
Output File Name: Enter merged.pdf, or use a dynamic filename based on the incoming document.

The source-link order determines the document order. Use Zapier’s field picker to map the links dynamically.

See the PDF Merger documentation for configuration details.

Step 5: Test and Save the Result

Test the PDF.co action and open the returned url. Confirm that the cover sheet appears first, followed by the incoming PDF.

Add Dropbox → Upload File and configure:

Folder: Select your merged-results folder.
File: Map the PDF.co output url.

Keep this destination separate from the incoming folder to prevent the output from triggering the Zap again.

Test the upload, then publish the Zap. Each new PDF added to the incoming folder will be merged with the cover sheet and saved to Dropbox.

Depending on your Zapier plan and settings, your Zaps will trigger and the output and logs can be found in your Tasks History.

In this tutorial, you learned how to merge PDF files using PDF.co and Zapier plugin. This is one of the simple automation processes that an API to merge PDF files can do.