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Workflows

Save your steps once, apply them to every document

Short answer

A workflow is a saved sequence of operations — remove blank pages, add Bates numbers, apply a stamp, add a header, rename the output. Build it once, then run it on the open document or point it at a folder and get a ZIP of processed files back. Everything runs on your machine, so batch is free and unlimited.

Most document work is not creative. The same five things happen to every invoice, every intake form, every scanned bundle — and they happen by hand, one file at a time, because the tool that could automate them charges per file or per seat.

A workflow is that sequence, written down. It is also just a file, which turns out to matter more than the automation itself.

Step by step

Batch process a folder of PDFs

Build once, then run it as often as you like.

Build the workflow

Open the Workflows panel and add steps, or press record and simply use the editor normally while it captures what you do.

Set each step up

Every step has its own settings — which pages, which stamp, which position, what prefix. Variable fields such as {{date}} and {{counter:4}} resolve per file and per page.

Test it on one document

Run it on the open PDF first. You get a step-by-step log showing what each one did, and you can undo the whole run in a single action if it is not right.

Point it at a folder

Choose "Run on a folder of PDFs", select your files, and watch the progress. Each file is processed and then released from memory, so large batches stay stable.

Save the workflow and share it

Export it as a .workflow file. Email it to a colleague and it runs identically on their machine — including any stamps it depends on, which travel inside the file.

Open the editor

The steps available today

StepWhat it does
Remove blank pagesDetects blank pages by both text content and pixel coverage, and drops them
Keep only pages / Delete pagesAccepts ranges, plus odd, even and last
Rotate pages90, 180 or 270 degrees, on a range or everything
Add a stampAny stamp from your library, at any of nine positions, scaled to taste
Bates numberingPrefix, start number, digit padding, position and size
Page numbersAny format using {{page}} and {{total}}
Header or footerText with variable fields, on any range
WatermarkDiagonal-free centred text with adjustable opacity and colour
Remove metadataClears title, author, keywords and producer history
Rename outputPattern using {{filename}}, {{date}}, {{counter}} or {{bates}}

Why a file, and not an account feature

Every other automation tool makes workflows an account object: they live in a workspace, they need seats, and sharing one means inviting somebody. A workflow is a file. You email it. They open it. It runs.

That difference is why this feature exists. When one person's workflow circulates through a department, everyone ends up producing identically formatted documents without anybody administering anything — and the tool travels with the file. It is the only way a free tool spreads that costs nothing and compounds.

Batch is free here, and that is structural

Bulk processing is the feature hosted services reliably put behind a paid tier, because a hundred files is a hundred times the server cost. Here it is a hundred times your own CPU, which you already own. There is nothing to charge for.

What it will not do

A workflow will not silently continue past a failure. If a step cannot be completed on a document, that document is reported as failed with the reason, and the rest of the batch continues. You get a report at the end listing what succeeded and what did not, rather than a ZIP that looks complete and is not.

Try it — there is nothing to sign up for.

Open the editor and drop a PDF in. Your file stays on your device, and you can take the whole thing offline whenever you want.

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Questions

Straight answers

How many files can I process at once?

No limit is imposed. Each file is loaded, processed and released before the next begins, so memory stays roughly flat. Batches of a few hundred typical documents are comfortable on a normal laptop.

Are the files uploaded for batch processing?

No. Batch runs in exactly the same place as everything else — your browser. The ZIP is assembled in memory on your machine and saved straight to your downloads folder.

What if a workflow uses a stamp I do not have?

Exported workflows carry the stamps they depend on inside the file, so importing one gives you the stamps too. If a stamp really is missing, the step reports that clearly instead of quietly stamping nothing.

Can I edit a workflow someone sent me?

Yes. Import it and every step is fully editable — change the prefix, the position, the wording, or add steps of your own. It is your file once you have it.

Can I undo a workflow run?

On the open document, yes — a whole run is a single undo. For a batch, your source files are never modified at all, so re-running with different settings costs nothing.