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Monterey Shortcuts -> how to append PDF?

Hi, I'm trying to replicate an automator script where I would select multiple PDF files, and then combine these PDFs by appending all pages of the first PDF to the second PDF and then save as a new file. I have this in Automator as follows:

  1. Get Specific Finder Items (this is where I would drag and drag a number of PDF files)
  2. Combine PDF files (selecting either Appending pages or Shuffling pages)
  3. Move finder items -> to Downloads folder


I understand Apple is going to transition from Automator to Shortcuts. However, I couldn't get this to work in Shortcuts. What I did:

  1. Get selected files in Finder
  2. Make PDF from File (Append)
  3. Save PDF (ask to save - since there was no option to specify a fixed folder)


When I run this while selecting two PDFs, it would only read the first PDF and save the first PDF without combining the second.


Can someone please teach me how to do this? Thank you so much!!


iMac Pro, macOS 12.0

Posted on Nov 11, 2021 5:57 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 12, 2021 5:00 AM

Here is what I came up with.

I made it a Quick Action so I could select the PDFs, then ctrl-click on selection and run the Shortcut. You could also create a keyboard shortcut for the QuickAction.

It might be just as easy to run a Shortcut now, so using Get selected files in finder might work instead of the QuickAction method.

It seems to combine them in the order you select in Finder.



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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 12, 2021 5:00 AM in response to keithlim

Here is what I came up with.

I made it a Quick Action so I could select the PDFs, then ctrl-click on selection and run the Shortcut. You could also create a keyboard shortcut for the QuickAction.

It might be just as easy to run a Shortcut now, so using Get selected files in finder might work instead of the QuickAction method.

It seems to combine them in the order you select in Finder.



Nov 12, 2021 5:26 PM in response to Barney-15E

Thank you, this is fantastic! This solves my problem. A couple of quirks for me though:

  • When I select two PDFs to combine, the Shortcut always combines them into the first PDF and I had to select "overwrite the original file" to allow it to do so. It doesn't create a new file.
  • When I add this to the Menu bar and select the two rules and then the menu bar shortcut, it doesn't seem to pick up the two files I'd selected. Instead, it pops up a window for me to select files.


But these are minor quirks and overall the problem I had was resolved. Thanks again so much for teaching me how to do this.

Monterey Shortcuts -> how to append PDF?

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