How to Download Multiple PDFs from a Webpage

With the help of the internet, you can find any written content on a certain area of expertise. And in most cases, you can download them as PDFs for free.

Not only that, but you can often find multiple interesting PDFs on a single webpage, such as PDF guides, ebooks, instruction manuals, and even public data. No doubt, you'll want to quickly access them all.

But how do you download them efficiently once you’ve found them? In this post, we’ll cover tips on how to search, download, and view the PDFs you find on a single webpage.

How to Search for PDFs on Google

To search for a topic in the form of a PDF file, a search engine like Google can help you find your results efficiently. Let’s take for example the following Google search query:

business tips filetype:pdf

Pasting this query into Google will return PDF documents related to business tips that are free to download. If you’re just starting a business or writing a paper, you may want to check out and read as many resources as possible that appear on the results page.

To use this query for another topic, simply replace “business tips” with your own search term. You’ll be able to find a good selection of quality PDF documents.

Another related tip? Use a PDF search engine. These are a great resource. They’re designed to specifically display PDF results that are either curated or uploaded by users. And depending on the search engine you use, you’ll have different options, filters, categories, or user account features that can help your search go smoothly.

Of course, before downloading any file to your computer, take the usual precautions: Check the source and author of the file, scan the file with your antivirus program, and, if downloading from a PDF search engine that collects user ratings, see if anyone has had issues with the file you’re interested in.

Issues downloading PDFs on a single webpage

Now that you have a head start on how to find PDFs and some advice on safely downloading them, the next issue to address is—what do you do when you find multiple PDFs on a single webpage?

The most obvious answer is to download each of them to your computer. If there are only two or three PDFs you want to read listed on the webpage, this shouldn’t cause any issues.

However, if you come across a page with a dozen or more interesting documents, downloading these PDF files individually may become a time intensive chore. PDFs aren’t exactly known for their compact file sizes.

If you’re a Google Chrome user, though, you’re in luck! We have a tip that can help you download them quickly.

How to download all PDFs on a page

There’s a free Chrome extension called Batch Link Downloader. Just as its name suggests, it can batch download all files linked on the webpage.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Go to the Batch Link Downloader extension on Google Play using Chrome and install it.

2. Go to the webpage that has the PDFs you searched for. In this example, we’re using the “business tips” Google search operator from above.

3. Click on the green Batch Link Downloader button in your Extensions toolbar (turn the extension on if it isn’t on automatically).

4. You can then queue up the PDFs you want to download by checking the box next to them.

You’ll find the PDFs Google found listed as .pdf file names in the Filename list, or if there isn’t a PDF file name, you can use the descriptions to match up the results on the page:

5. Click on the Start download button. You can download multiple URLs at the same time and pause any download you want by clicking on the red button. If you don’t want to add all the available files, simply deselect them. 

6. Each download will open the Save As dialog. Choose where to download each file.

Note that with this addon you can also download images, podcasts and videos on a webpage, and you can also organize downloads by category, type, and other filters.

Once you’ve downloaded all the PDFs you want, you can use Xodo’s online PDF tools to view and work with those PDFs. 

Xodo tip: if you have more than a few PDFs on any given subject, you can always make downloaded files more manageable by combining PDF together according to topic.

Viewing PDF documents with Xodo PDF Reader

You can then easily view your PDF in any browsers such as Chrome with our PDF Reader tool. You don’t need to install or open any PDF program. If your PDF is in a language you can’t read, don't worry – you can still keep all your work and PDF reading online. There are online tools that can translate PDF document files right in your browser.

As an added bonus, our PDF Reader tool allows you to not only view, but also annotate PDFs as you read and sift through your files. You can highlight, underline, add text and comments on any interesting points you find. This is great when you want to present the document on screen as well.

If you want access to more of our tools, you can try Xodo Pro as a 7-day free trial. Extend your productivity by creating, converting, viewing, editing, merging PDF files from anywhere, anytime on any platform or device. Build a completely online PDF workflow of your own today!