How To Count Pages in Multiple PDF Files: Three Easy Methods

Do you need to know how to count pages in multiple PDF files?

Perhaps it's part of your billing process, tallying up the number of pages you've worked on for a client. Or maybe you just need to check how much paper you'll need to print a batch of documents.

Whether you're looking for a straightforward browser method, or you're confident working with JavaScript in Acrobat DC, we've got you covered. Read on to learn how to count pages across several different PDF documents.

Method 1. How To Count Pages in Multiple PDFs at Once With Adobe Acrobat DC

If you have a licence for Adobe Acrobat DC then you can use JavaScript to count the pages in your PDFs. It's a little on the technical side, but if you follow the steps below you'll be fine.

Don't worry if you don't have Acrobat DC, just skip to the next section for a free, easy method that doesn't require Acrobat.

1. Open Acrobat DC and go to Tools > Action Wizard.

2. Make an action using this JavaScript code:
   
   if (global.pagesCounter==null) global.pagesCounter=0;
   global.pagesCounter+=this.numPages;
3. Call the action "Count Pages" and save it.
4. Next, use the following code to create a Custom Command:
   
   if (global.pagesCounter==null) app.alert("You must first run the \"Count Pages\" Action.");
   else {app.alert("Number of pages counted: " + global.pagesCounter,3); delete global.pagesCounter;}
5. To count pages in multiple PDFs, you simply need to run the Count Pages action on the files or folders you want to count. If you run it on a folder, it automatically includes any subfolders inside it. However, exercise caution when doing this, because it will also convert any non-PDF files in the folder into PDFs.
6. Display the page count by clicking on the custom command.

Method 2. A Universal Way To Count Pages in Multiple PDF Files for Free (Works for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android Devices)

Of course, the method outlined above is only useful if you have Acrobat DC. It also requires a level of technical confidence that not everyone has. If you're not comfortable using JavaScript, then this simpler method is perfect for you.

UPDF covers all your PDF editing needs, and it works as a bulk PDF page counter too. There's no need for coding or any technical knowledge at all. Just download UPDF for free and try it today.

To use UPDF to count the pages in multiple PDF files, follow these easy steps:

1. Choose "Batch" after opening UPDF.
2. Then click "Combine".
3. Add the PDFs you're working with. You can do this by dragging the files into UPDF, or by searching for them.
4. Click "Apply" to merge them into a single file, and then choose a folder to save it to.
5. Now open that merged file in UPDF, and check the page count at the top of your screen.

Watch the below video to learn more about how to batch PDFs with UPDF:

UPDF can do far more than just count pages across many documents. It's an all-in-one PDF editing tool that will replace all the random hacks and workarounds you might be using currently.

UPDF also features a powerful AI assistant to make your workflow faster and easier. It can summarise long texts so you can read them more quickly. Or ask it to help you understand complicated charts, putting the data into a format you can interpret more easily.

Convert files at the touch of a button, easily switching from one format to another. If you need to convert from Excel or Word into PDF, it's a simple process, and it's just as easy to convert from those formats into PDF.

Use it for annotating PDF files. Add highlights and sticky notes just as you would if taking notes on a paper document. Or use it to add a signature in your own handwriting to any file.

With UPDF you have a fast, simple way to edit and organise your PDFs. Add watermarks to protect your work, change page order by dragging and dropping, or change the background colour.

UPDF offers a smooth reading experience that allows you to set your preferred page layout. You can add bookmarks to help you navigate long documents, or use dark mode to make screen-based work easier on your eyes.

The OCR feature recognises text in scanned images or photos, converting it to a searchable text format. It can detect text in more than 38 languages and it even supports bilingual documents.

Would you like to see how UPDF can help your workflow? Click here for the free download and test it out today.

Method 3. Another Way To Count Pages in Multiple PDF Files (Time-Consuming)

This final option shows you how to count pages in multiple PDF files without an additional tool. It's a simple method that works in all the major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.) It's definitely slower than the methods outlined above. It's also tricky to make sure you haven't missed a document making your page count inaccurate.

Despite that, it's an effective workaround for counting up pages across several documents. You don't need any special software because it works in whatever browser you normally use.

1. Open each PDF in a separate tab of your web browser.
2. Navigate to each file in turn and make a note of the page count.
3. Tally up the pages in each file.

A basic, low-tech way to get a combined page today for several PDFs.

Conclusion

So, now you know how to count pages in multiple PDF files. You've got three bulk PDF page counter options ranging from the more technical Acrobat method to the simple but slow browser method.

For a tool that counts pages across multiple PDFs quickly and easily, you can't get better than UPDF. The straightforward merge feature lets you see the page count without having to add it up yourself, and without having to mess around with code.

See for yourself how easy it is. Get started by downloading UPDF today.