How to batch convert many PDFs on a Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To batch convert PDFs on a Mac, select all the files in Finder and run one FileDial tool, such as Convert › PDF to Word, Compress › Compress PDF or OCR › Make searchable. Each file gets its own result beside it. For recurring jobs, a watched folder runs a recipe on anything dropped in.
One selection, one tool, many results
FileDial works in batches: select many files and run one tool on all of them. That covers most bulk PDF jobs. Select thirty PDFs, open the dial, choose Convert › PDF to Word, and each PDF produces its own Word file beside it. The same goes for Compress › Compress PDF, OCR › Make searchable, Convert › PDF to JPG and the rest.
Results are saved as new files beside the originals, and the originals are not changed unless a tool says so up front. Every result has Undo, and a result card shows what changed and the size before and after. That combination is what makes bulk work safe: you can run a large batch and still go back.
Run a batch with FileDial
Do a trial on a few files before the full run.
- In Finder, select the PDFs, using Command-A for a whole folder or Shift-click for a range.
- Hold the right Option key to open the dial.
- Choose the category and release on the tool, for example Convert › PDF to Word.
- Check the first two or three results before you trust the rest.
- Use Undo on the result card for anything you do not want.
Match the tool to the job
Pick by outcome. To make every scan searchable, use OCR › Make searchable. To shrink every file, use Compress › Compress PDF, or a target such as Compress › Compress under 10 MB. To turn pages into pictures, use Convert › PDF to JPG or PDF to PNG. To pull the text out, Convert › PDF to Text. To stamp every file, use the Pages tools like Add watermark text… or Add header/footer text…
Some jobs deliberately treat the selection as a set. Combine › Merge PDFs joins them into one, in selection order. Pages › Bates numbering… numbers continue across the selection in order. Those are not one-result-per-file, so know which kind you are running.
- One result per file: convert, compress, OCR, rotate, stamp.
- One combined result: Merge PDFs, Binder with cover and contents…
- Numbers continuing across files: Bates numbering…
Chain steps with a recipe
Recipes chain tools, for example Convert to JPG then Remove location for photos. For PDFs, a sensible chain is OCR then compress: make every scan searchable, then shrink it. Build the chain once as a recipe and apply it to the next batch with a single action.
Watched folders go one step further: they run a recipe on anything dropped into a folder. A common setup is a Scans inbox, where each new PDF is made searchable and compressed without you doing anything. Test the recipe on a few files before pointing it at a folder that fills itself.
Sorting out a messy batch
Bulk jobs usually start with a mess of names and types. Rename › Add date prefix, Rename › Rename with pattern… and Rename › Rename with sequence… tidy file names first, and Convert › Rename by content… names PDFs from their date, company and number. Combine › Sort into folders by document type copies files into Receipts, Invoices, Contracts, IDs, Screenshots and Other in a new folder. Batch › Find duplicates writes a report and deletes nothing, which is a good first step before a big run.
A worked example: a quarter of client scans
You have 120 scanned PDFs from a quarter's work, in one folder, half of them sideways and none of them searchable. A sensible order is: select all and run Organize › Rotate all 90° right on the sideways ones; select all and run OCR › Make searchable; then select all again and run Compress › Compress PDF. Three selections, three tool runs, and the folder holds the originals plus processed copies.
Spot-check ten files across the set, not just the first ten. Then move the originals to an Archive folder and keep the processed ones. If you will do this every quarter, record the steps as a recipe so the next batch is a single action.
Speed depends on the files and the tool, and we only quote what was measured: a 42 MB PDF was compressed, OCRed or turned into images in about 2 seconds on a MacBook. A batch of 300 photos converted in 5 seconds. Large scanned PDFs and OCR on many pages will take longer on yours; run a few first, and you will know.
Honest alternatives on a Mac
Shortcuts and Finder Quick Actions can run simple actions on a selection, and Automator-style workflows can too. They are free and powerful, and they require you to build and maintain the workflow. A dedicated tool suits you if you want the actions already built and previewed with Undo; Shortcuts suits you if you like building your own.
Bulk jobs are where uploading hurts most: hundreds of files in a stranger's storage. Doing it locally means there is nothing to leak. FileDial works with Wi-Fi off.
Questions
Can I convert many PDFs to Word at once on a Mac?
Yes. Select all the PDFs in Finder and run Convert › PDF to Word once. Each PDF gets its own Word file saved beside it. Check the first few results for layout before relying on the whole batch, since complex pages vary.
Does batch processing overwrite my original PDFs?
No. FileDial saves results as new files beside the originals and never changes an original unless a tool says so up front. Every result also has Undo, and the result card shows the size before and after, so you can compare.
How do I process a folder of PDFs automatically?
Use a watched folder, which runs a recipe on anything dropped into it. For example, a recipe that makes scans searchable and then compresses them. Test the recipe on a few files first, because it will keep running on every new file.