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003 · Guide · February 2026

Batch conversion,
done right.

~3 minute read Converting one file is easy. Converting forty is a different problem. Here's how we approach it.

Formatly takes up to five files per upload. For most people that's plenty — you grab the batch that's slowing you down, drop them in, done. But there are a few things worth knowing before you try.

Know what a "batch" actually means

Each file is processed independently. They run in parallel, get their own status row underneath the drop zone, and either succeed or fail on their own. One corrupted file won't take down the other four.

That means the batch isn't atomic. If three succeed and two fail, you still get the three — download them, sort out the failures separately.

Pick a single target format

All files in a batch convert to the same target format. If you have a mix of PDFs and Word docs that both need to become PDFs — fine, drop them all in, pick PDF. If you have PDFs that should become DOCX and images that should become JPG, do those as two separate batches.

Rename before you upload

The output keeps the input's base name. If you're about to convert Scan 1.pdf, Scan 2.pdf, and Scan 3.pdf to DOCX and download them all into the same folder, you'll get Scan 1.docx, etc. — fine. But if there's anything you want to rename or re-number, now is easier than later.

Check the status rows

After you hit Convert, each file shows up as its own row with a status. Watch for:

Download promptly

Converted files are deleted one hour after upload. For a batch of five that means you have plenty of time to click five Download buttons. But if you set it running and walk away for the afternoon, they'll be gone when you come back.

If you need more than five at a time

Do it in waves. Five, then five, then five. It's marginally less convenient than uploading forty at once, but the server load stays predictable and your browser doesn't choke on a giant concurrent upload.

If you regularly need to batch-convert hundreds of files, email us — we're gauging interest in a proper bulk endpoint.

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