# Process many PDFs at once

Run a `sumatrapdf-tool` command on every PDF in a folder with a `for` loop in the Command Prompt (`cmd.exe`) or in PowerShell.

**Available in [pre-release 3.7](https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/prerelease)**

**Open a terminal in the folder with the PDFs and run a loop.** At a glance:

- **Command Prompt:** `for %f in (*.pdf) do sumatrapdf-tool ... "%f"`
- **.bat file:** the same, with `%%f` instead of `%f`.
- **PowerShell:** `Get-ChildItem *.pdf | ForEach-Object { sumatrapdf-tool ... $_.FullName }`
- **Search:** `grep` takes many files in one command.

The examples use `sumatrapdf-tool`, which the installer adds to `PATH`. [SumatraPDF.exe <tool>](Tools.md) takes the same arguments.

## Write a loop in the Command Prompt

```
for %f in (*.pdf) do @sumatrapdf-tool clean "%f" "fixed\%~nf.pdf"
```

- `%f` is the full file name, e.g. `annual report.pdf`.
- `%~nf` is the name without the extension, e.g. `annual report`. Use it to build output names.
- Put quotes around `"%f"` and around output names so names with spaces work.
- `@` stops cmd from printing each command before it runs it.
- `for /r %f in (*.pdf) do ...` also goes into subfolders; `%f` is then the full path.

Write the results to a separate folder (create it first with `mkdir fixed`). That keeps them apart from the originals, and running the loop again won't process them.

## Write a loop in a .bat file

In a `.bat` file, double every `%`: `%%f`, `%%~nf`, and `%%d` for the page number in image names.

```
@echo off
mkdir text
for %%f in (*.pdf) do sumatrapdf-tool convert -o "text\%%~nf.txt" "%%f"
```

Note: a single `%d` in a `.bat` file is eaten by cmd. `convert` then gets broken arguments and prints its usage text.

## Write a loop in PowerShell

```
mkdir fixed
Get-ChildItem *.pdf | ForEach-Object { sumatrapdf-tool clean $_.FullName "fixed\$($_.BaseName).pdf" }
```

- `$_.FullName` is the full path of the file; `$_.BaseName` is the name without the extension.
- Use `$(...)` to put `$_.BaseName` inside a string.
- Names with spaces work without extra quotes.
- Use `Get-ChildItem -Recurse *.pdf` to include subfolders.

This works the same in PowerShell 7 (`pwsh`) and in Windows PowerShell 5.1.

## Compress all PDFs

Command Prompt:

```
mkdir small
for %f in (*.pdf) do @sumatrapdf-tool clean -gggg -e 100 -f -i -t -Z "%f" "small\%~nf.pdf"
```

PowerShell:

```
mkdir small
Get-ChildItem *.pdf | ForEach-Object { sumatrapdf-tool clean -gggg -e 100 -f -i -t -Z $_.FullName "small\$($_.BaseName).pdf" }
```

A file that is already compressed may not get smaller, and a very small one can even grow a little. See [Compress a PDF](Tool-x-compress-pdf.md).

## Extract the text of all PDFs

Each PDF becomes a `.txt` file with the same name.

Command Prompt:

```
mkdir text
for %f in (*.pdf) do @sumatrapdf-tool convert -o "text\%~nf.txt" "%f"
```

PowerShell:

```
mkdir text
Get-ChildItem *.pdf | ForEach-Object { sumatrapdf-tool convert -o "text\$($_.BaseName).txt" $_.FullName }
```

See [Extract text from PDF](Tool-x-extract-text-from-pdf.md).

## Convert all PDFs to PNG images

One image per page, named `<file>-<page>.png`, e.g. `annual report-1.png`, `annual report-2.png`. `resolution=150` sets the image resolution in dots per inch.

Command Prompt:

```
mkdir png
for %f in (*.pdf) do @sumatrapdf-tool convert -o "png\%~nf-%d.png" -O resolution=150 "%f"
```

In a `.bat` file:

```
mkdir png
for %%f in (*.pdf) do sumatrapdf-tool convert -o "png\%%~nf-%%d.png" -O resolution=150 "%%f"
```

PowerShell:

```
mkdir png
Get-ChildItem *.pdf | ForEach-Object { sumatrapdf-tool convert -o "png\$($_.BaseName)-%d.png" -O resolution=150 $_.FullName }
```

See [Convert PDF to images](Convert-PDF-to-images.md).

## Search all PDFs

`grep` takes many files, so you don't always need a loop. `-i` ignores case, `-H` prints the file name and `-n` the page number:

```
sumatrapdf-tool grep -i -H -n "green" "annual report.pdf" invoice.pdf
```

Each match is one line: file name, page number and the line of text, separated by tabs:

```
annual report.pdf	1	Green text on page 1
annual report.pdf	2	Green text on page 2
annual report.pdf	3	Green text on page 3
invoice.pdf	1	Green text on page 1
invoice.pdf	2	Green text on page 2
invoice.pdf	3	Green text on page 3
```

`grep` doesn't expand `*.pdf` itself: `sumatrapdf-tool grep -i foo *.pdf` fails with `cannot open *.pdf`. Let the shell list the files instead.

PowerShell, all PDFs in one command:

```
sumatrapdf-tool grep -i -H -n "green" (Get-ChildItem *.pdf).Name
```

PowerShell, including subfolders:

```
sumatrapdf-tool grep -i -H -n "green" (Get-ChildItem -Recurse *.pdf).FullName
```

Command Prompt, one file at a time (`for /r` to include subfolders):

```
for %f in (*.pdf) do @sumatrapdf-tool grep -i -H -n "green" "%f"
```

See [sumatrapdf-tool grep](Tool-grep.md) for regular expressions and other options.

## Tips

- Try the command on one file first, then put it in a loop.
- Use `-H` with `grep` so you know which file each match comes from.
- Use a `.bat` file for a job you repeat; remember to double the `%`.
- Other tools work the same way: [grayscale](Convert-PDF-to-grayscale.md), [repair](Repair-a-damaged-PDF.md), [PDF info](Show-PDF-info.md).

## See also

- [All cmd-line tools](Tools.md)
- [sumatrapdf-tool clean](Tool-clean.md), [convert](Tool-convert.md), [grep](Tool-grep.md)
- [Merge PDFs](Merge-PDFs.md) — combine many PDFs into one file