Real file jobs are rarely one step. The report needs to be compressed, then watermarked DRAFT, then page-numbered. The photo shoot needs every image shrunk under 2 MB and combined into a single PDF. Doing that with ordinary online tools means a download-and-reupload between every step — for every file.
A recipe collapses that into one pass: you chain the steps once, drop a pile of files (or point the tool at a whole folder), and every file flows through every step in your browser's memory. Nothing uploads between steps, because nothing uploads at all.
What a recipe is (and why it stays private)
A recipe is an ordered chain of FileMorf tools — say, compress → watermark → add page numbers — that runs as a single flow. The tools involved are the same client-side engines the individual tool pages use: your files are read into the tab's memory, each step transforms them there, and the results are handed to the next step directly. The network tab in your browser's developer tools stays empty the whole time.
There are three ways a recipe comes into being, and none of them involve staring at a blank workflow builder. You can assemble one on the recipe page by adding steps. You can just use FileMorf normally — after you've done two or more things in a row, the converter offers your exact chain back as a replayable recipe. Or you can type what you want in plain words into the box on the homepage ('compress under 2 MB and watermark DRAFT') and confirm the steps it proposes.
The receipt is the recipe
The easiest authoring method is doing the job once. Convert some images, then combine them into a PDF — FileMorf shows the chain you just performed and a 'Do this to more files' button. That replay is a recipe.
Walkthrough: compress, watermark, and number a stack of PDFs
- 1
Open the recipe runner
Go to the Recipes page. Free, no account — it works logged out because nothing ever reaches a server.
- 2
Add your steps
Click 'Add step' and pick Compress, then Watermark, then Add page numbers. Click any step chip to set its options — the watermark text, the number position.
- 3
Drop your PDFs
Drag in as many as you like. The runner shows how many files matched the recipe's first step.
- 4
Run it
One click processes every file through every step, with live progress. Failures are isolated — one corrupt file drops out with a note while the rest finish.
- 5
Download the results
Grab files individually or as a single ZIP. Each output went through the whole chain — no intermediate downloads existed at any point.
The same pattern covers the other classic batch jobs: photos → one tidy PDF (combine, then compress), screenshots → WebP, voice memos → MP3, scans → compressed and numbered. The recipe page includes a starter gallery with these prebuilt — open one and tweak it rather than starting from scratch.
Point it at a whole folder
On Chromium browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc), a recipe can go one step further: instead of dropping files, grant the page read access to a folder. FileMorf sweeps it — subfolders included — runs the recipe on every matching file, and can save the results back into a 'FileMorf Output' subfolder next to your originals. Hundreds of files, one click, and still nothing uploads: the File System Access API hands your browser the files directly.
- Folder runs are capped at 300 matching files per pass to keep your machine comfortable — run again for the remainder.
- Originals are never touched; outputs land in the separate 'FileMorf Output' subfolder, with automatic renaming if two results would collide.
- Firefox and Safari don't support folder access yet — the multi-file picker does the same job there, minus the write-back.
Sharing a recipe: the link carries the how, never the what
Every recipe has a 'Copy recipe link' button. The link encodes the steps and their settings — compress at maximum, watermark 'CONFIDENTIAL', number bottom-center — so a teammate who opens it gets your exact workflow and runs it on their own files, on their own device.
Why recipe links are private by construction
The steps live in the part of the URL after the # symbol — the fragment — which browsers never send to any server. FileMorf can't see which recipes you create or share, and the link physically cannot contain your files.
How this compares to the usual options
| Approach | Files uploaded | Repeatable | Works on a whole folder |
|---|---|---|---|
| FileMorf recipe (browser) | Never | Yes — replay or share the link | Yes (Chromium) |
| Online tools one at a time | Once per tool, per file | No — manual every time | No |
| Desktop software (Acrobat etc.) | No | Somewhat — macros vary | Yes ($$, install) |
| Command-line scripts | No | Yes | Yes (you write and maintain them) |
The honest summary: if you already live in the terminal, scripts are unbeatable. For everyone else, recipes give you script-grade repeatability with a drag-and-drop surface — and unlike upload-based batch services, they're exactly as private as not sending your files anywhere.
Open the recipe runner
Chain compress, convert, watermark, merge, and more into one repeatable flow — run it on batches or a whole folder, entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is the recipe runner free? Do I need an account?
Free and no account. Recipes chain FileMorf's client-side tools, which run in your browser — there's no server work to meter. Server-backed tools (OCR, AI enhancement) live on their own pages and aren't part of client recipes.
Do my files get uploaded between steps?
No — there are no uploads at any point. Files move between steps inside your tab's memory. You can verify this yourself: open your browser's developer tools, watch the network tab while a recipe runs, and note the absence of any file transfer.
How many files can I run at once?
Drag-and-drop batches are limited by your machine's memory rather than a hard cap; dozens of PDFs or photos are routine. Folder runs process up to 300 matching files per pass and tell you when they hit the cap.
Can I edit a recipe someone shared with me?
Yes. Opening a recipe link loads the steps into the runner where every step is editable — change the watermark text, remove a step, add another, then run it or copy your own link. The original sender's link is unaffected.
What happens if one file in the batch fails?
It drops out of the chain with an error note against its name, and every other file continues. You'll see exactly which files failed and at which step after the run finishes.
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