# Extract, Merge and Share PDF Pages with One Prompt in Copilot in SharePoint > Copilot in SharePoint can pull pages out of PDFs, merge them into a new file and share it, all from one prompt. How it works and where the human approval sits. - URL: https://www.danielanderson.io/articles/copilot-sharepoint-extract-merge-pdf/ - Author: Daniel Anderson, Microsoft MVP (https://www.danielanderson.io/) - Published: 2026-10-06 - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2uCU3Pw3Tk ## Key takeaways - Copilot in SharePoint can extract specific pages from PDFs, merge them into a new named file and share it, from a single prompt. - It returns the extracted pages as separate files as well as the merged result. - Sharing waits for your approval, which is exactly where a person belongs in a multi-step AI workflow. - The merged file keeps the original branding and page styles. Copilot in SharePoint can now take pages out of PDFs, merge them into a new file and share that file, all from one prompt. I asked it to take page 4 from a 24-page solution design document and page 2 from a 5-page project plan, combine them into a file called Executive Briefing, and share it read-only with a colleague. It did all four jobs in one run, and stopped to ask me before it shared anything. I was surprised how many people spend part of their week doing exactly this by hand. Open one PDF, find the page, export it, open the next, export again, combine them in another tool, upload the result, then go and set up the sharing. It's fiddly work that nobody enjoys, and it's a good example of where multi-step AI in SharePoint earns its keep. ## How to extract and merge PDF pages with Copilot in SharePoint The whole thing is one prompt, written the way you'd ask a colleague. Mine was roughly: > Extract page 4 out of the solution design document and page 2 out of the plan document, merge them together and call the file Executive Briefing. Then share that file with read-only access to Frankie. Copilot worked through it as a sequence: 1. **Extracted page 4** from the solution design document as its own file. 2. **Extracted page 2** from the plan as its own file. 3. **Merged the two pages** into a new two-page file called Executive Briefing, in the order I asked for. 4. **Paused for approval** before sharing, then shared it read-only once I confirmed. Opening the merged file showed both pages in the right order, with the original layouts intact. ## Three things it gets right **You get the parts as well as the result.** The two extracted pages came back as separate files alongside the merged briefing. If you only need one page from a long document, that's a job done on its own. **Sharing waits for a person.** Extracting and merging are easy to undo. Sending a file to someone isn't. Copilot stopped and asked before sharing, and that's where I want a human in the loop in any multi-step AI workflow. The steps you can reverse can run on their own. The step that touches another person waits for you. **The output looks like the input.** The merged file kept the original branding and page styles. It didn't rebuild the pages into something generic, which is what makes it usable for a briefing pack rather than just a rough draft. ## Where this saves real time Think about the PDF packs your team puts together on a schedule. A few common ones: - **Board and executive packs**, built from pages of larger reports. - **Bid and tender responses**, pulling standard pages like capability statements and case studies into one file. - **Client briefings**, combining a page from the proposal with a page from the plan. - **Onboarding packs**, assembled from sections of longer policy documents. Pick the one your team assembles every month and see if one prompt gets you there. If it does, that prompt is a good candidate to save as a reusable skill so anyone on the site can run it the same way. ## What you need This runs in Copilot in SharePoint, which needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. The general availability rollout of Copilot in SharePoint started on 30 September 2026, so it's landing in tenants now. Copilot works within your existing permissions, so it can only extract from PDFs you can open and share with people your sharing settings allow. If your PDFs are scattered across personal drives and old folders, start by getting them into the right SharePoint library. [OneDrive vs SharePoint: what to use when](https://www.danielanderson.io/articles/onedrive-vs-sharepoint-when-to-use-which/) covers where files should live. ## Frequently asked questions **Can Copilot in SharePoint merge PDF files?** Yes. You can ask it to extract specific pages from one or more PDFs and merge them into a new file with the name you choose. In my test it merged a page from a 24-page document with a page from a 5-page document into a new two-page PDF. **Does Copilot keep the formatting when it merges PDFs?** In my test the merged file kept the original branding and page styles from both source documents. It didn't rebuild the pages in a generic format. **Will Copilot share files without asking?** No. When the prompt includes sharing, Copilot pauses and asks you to approve before it shares the file. Extracting and merging run without stopping because they don't affect anyone else. **Do I need Adobe Acrobat to combine PDFs in SharePoint?** Not for this. Copilot in SharePoint handled the extraction and merging itself. You do need a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence to use Copilot in SharePoint.