Tutorial on Batch Modifying PDF Initial View: Make Long Documents Display Page Preview Upon Opening

With dozens of lengthy PDFs, opening the sidebar for each one to check page previews is both time-consuming and prone to omissions. This article explains how to batch modify the initial view of PDFs so that files open with thumbnail navigation displayed by default. The tutorial covers applicable scenarios, before-and-after results, batch file import, the option to display page thumbnails, save location settings, and result checking, as well as notes on reader compatibility, encrypted files, digital signatures, and backups, helping office workers efficiently organize reports, scanned documents, contracts, and manuals.

The reading efficiency of long PDFs often depends on the navigation method. For a research report of seventy or eighty pages, if only the main text area is displayed after opening, readers can only keep scrolling or jump by page number; if page thumbnails are also shown on the left side, they can directly observe the appearance of the cover, table of contents, charts, appendices, and other pages, and then quickly go to the target location. The problem is that many PDFs do not have this opening method preset, so recipients have to manually bring up the page panel every time.

When there are many files to organize, modifying the initial view one by one is not realistic. This article introduces a batch-oriented office processing approach: use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to set multiple PDFs at once to show page thumbnails when opened. Through unified import, unified parameters, and unified output, repetitive work can be reduced while improving the consistency of use across the entire batch of documents.

1. What problem does this article solve

This article is not about PDFs being unable to generate thumbnails, file explorers not displaying PDF covers, or batch conversion of PDFs to JPG images. The specific problem to be solved is that many PDFs do not display page thumbnail navigation by default after being opened in a reader, and it is hoped that the initial view of these files can be modified at once so that the reader gives priority to showing the thumbnail sidebar when opening the document.

This need is common in standardization work before publishing materials. Content creators may be accustomed to continuous reading by scrolling, but recipients need faster page retrieval. Especially in documents without bookmarks, page thumbnails are a simple and intuitive navigation method. After writing the display preference into the PDF, there is no need to require every recipient to know how to manually open the sidebar.

2. Applicable scenarios and usage value

1. Long research reports and technical documents

Research reports usually include a cover, abstract, main text, charts, and reference materials. Page thumbnails will show obvious layout differences, allowing reviewers to quickly find chart-dense pages or chapter start pages.

2. PDF scans and image archives

Scanned documents may have no text-based table of contents and no structured bookmarks. Thumbnails provide page-by-page visual preview, making it more convenient to find invoices, identification documents, signature pages, and pages with stamps.

3. Meeting materials and teaching courseware

After meeting handbooks, lecture notes, and courseware are converted to PDFs, presenters often need to jump across pages. Showing page previews by default makes it possible to quickly select other pages without closing the current document.

4. Contracts, policies, and archived documents

Such documents often require repeated checking of clauses, attachments, and signature sections. A unified initial view helps reduce the cost of searching and also gives a batch of archived files a similar way of being used.

5. Centralized governance of large numbers of historical PDFs

Enterprise folders may have accumulated PDFs from different sources and with different opening states over a long period. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is office software, and its value lies in centrally executing the same file operations. Compared with manually configuring each file one by one, batch processing is more suitable for standardizing dozens or even hundreds of documents.

3. Effect preview: before and after page preview settings

Display state before setting

Before processing, the sample PDF mainly shows the document page after opening, and the left thumbnail area is not expanded. The current page number and zoom ratio can be seen at the top, but if you want to find target content based on page appearance, you still need to open the navigation panel separately.

This state places more emphasis on reading the main text, but is not conducive to quickly browsing the entire document. For PDFs of more than ten pages, especially reports with many layout changes, the lack of page preview increases the number of times users must scroll back and forth and jump between pages.

Display state after setting

After batch modification of the initial view, page thumbnails are directly shown on the left when the PDF is opened, while the right side continues to show the current page. The thumbnails include page numbers and page appearance, and can be clicked to jump.

The document in the example has many pages, so the role of page thumbnails is very obvious. Users can continuously view previews of the first ten pages and continue browsing subsequent pages through the panel scrollbar. The arrow in the image points exactly to the page thumbnail area displayed by default after opening.

It should be noted that the PDF initial view is a document preference. Different readers may use different panel styles and may also be affected by local reading settings. Therefore, the key criterion after processing is not whether the interface is exactly the same as the screenshot, but whether page thumbnail navigation can appear directly when the file is opened.

4. Complete operation process

Step 1: Find the entry for batch setting the PDF initial view

Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and select "PDF Tools" in the left navigation bar. After entering the PDF function list, find "Set PDF Initial View" and click to enter. The function description in the interface mentions that it can batch set the navigation panel, page display method, and default zoom ratio for PDF files when they are opened.

This tutorial uses the navigation panel setting capability. The initial view is different from tasks such as PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, and deleting bookmarks. When selecting a function, you should use "Set PDF Initial View" as the standard to avoid entering unrelated conversion or cleanup tools.

Step 2: Batch import long-document PDFs

After entering the function, the first step is to select the records to be processed. The upper right of the page provides two entry points: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder". The former is suitable for precisely selecting several documents, while the latter is suitable for processing an entire batch of PDFs already organized in the same directory.

After files are added, a clear task list is formed. The screenshot shows information such as serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and actions, and the bottom also summarizes the number of records. Using this information, you can check the following issues before processing:

• Whether the extension is pdf, to avoid mixing in files of other formats.
• Whether the file path comes from the correct project directory.
• Whether there are formal originals or signed files that do not need to be modified.
• Whether the number of records in the list matches the planned number to process.

If a file is added by mistake, you can use the delete icon on the right side of that row to remove the record from the current queue; if you want to rebuild the list, you can also use "Clear" at the top of the page. After confirming the files are correct, click "Next" to enter parameter settings.

Step 3: Enable the show-on-open option

On the "Set Processing Options" page, first enable "Show on Open". This switch controls whether to specify the opening navigation method for the current batch. After enabling it, three choices appear below: "Do not show sidebar", "Show bookmarks", and "Show page thumbnails".

Please select "Show page thumbnails". After completing the selection, all PDFs to be processed in this batch will use this target setting. For scanned materials without bookmarks, page thumbnails are usually more practical than "Show bookmarks"; choosing "Do not show sidebar" would be the opposite of the goal of this tutorial.

The same page also shows two switches: "Page display method" and "Default zoom method". They are used to control the page layout and zoom preference after opening, but they are not necessary settings for displaying thumbnails. If there is no clear requirement, it is recommended to keep them off. Batch tasks should follow the principle of modifying only necessary items, which makes it easier to preserve the original reading layout and also easier to verify later.

Step 4: Enter save location settings

After confirming the parameters, click "Next". According to the four-stage process at the top of the page, the next step is "Set save location". To protect the source files, it is recommended to write the processing results to a new directory and use a folder name that is easy to recognize. For example, you can create "Output - Default Show Thumbnails" under the project directory to keep original files and result files separate.

If the output location is on a portable hard drive, shared drive, or network directory, confirm that the connection is stable and that you have write permission. When there are many files, also reserve enough space. For formal archives, unique originals, or materials with legal significance, keep an unprocessed version and do not retain only the modified result.

Step 5: Execute the task

After completing the save settings, enter the "Start Processing" stage and start the task. During processing, the software needs to continuously read the source PDFs and write the results, so do not rename the files to be processed, and do not close the disk or folder where they are located. If a file is being occupied by another program, close the corresponding window first before executing.

Step 6: Check the processing results

After batch processing is completed, enter the result directory and open the PDFs. When verifying, first completely close the original document windows in the reader, and then reopen the processed files to prevent the reader from continuing to use the old session state. Focus on checking the following:

1. Whether the files open normally without corruption prompts.
2. Whether the page thumbnail panel appears directly after opening.
3. Whether the number of thumbnails corresponds to the actual number of pages.
4. Whether the main text, images, tables, and page order are normal.
5. Whether the names and number of output files match the task list.

If these PDFs come from complex sources, it is recommended to spot-check different types of samples, including text-based PDFs, scanned PDFs, landscape-page files, and files with especially many pages. When used for external delivery, they should also be tested in the readers commonly used by recipients.

5. How to organize batch tasks more reliably

Run a small pilot batch first

When using this function for the first time, do not immediately process all materials. Select three to five representative PDFs from the files to be processed, complete the settings, and check the display effect. After confirming that the parameters and save rules are correct, import the remaining files.

Batch by source or purpose

Contracts, scanned documents, public reports, and internal materials may have different security requirements. Processing them as separate tasks makes it easier to set different output directories and also prevents files that should not be modified from being mixed into the queue.

Create pre-processing and post-processing directories

It is recommended to keep two directories: "Original files" and "Processing results". If necessary, add a date or batch number, such as "2026-08-18 processing results". A clear directory structure is helpful for review, rollback, and subsequent delivery.

Record quantities and perform spot checks

When importing, record the number of files shown by the software, and check the number in the result directory after completion. A matching count does not necessarily mean the content is correct, but it can quickly reveal omissions. Then combine random spot checks with checks of key files to improve reliability.

6. Common problems and precautions

1. After processing, thumbnails do not appear automatically. Does that mean failure?

Not necessarily. Some PDF readers will prioritize restoring the panel state from the user's last session, and the browser's built-in previewer may also ignore the document's initial view. You can first exit the reader and reopen the file, or switch to a desktop reader for testing. If multiple readers that support initial view show no effect, then check whether "Show page thumbnails" was selected and whether the correct result file was opened.

2. Will page preview significantly increase file size?

The main goal of this operation is to modify the opening view preference, not to save each page as a high-resolution image. The internal structure and processing results of different PDFs may vary, so it is still recommended to actually compare file sizes before and after processing, but this function should not be understood as batch generation of standalone images.

3. What about password-protected or permission-restricted PDFs?

PDFs restricted by passwords, security permissions, or organizational policies may not allow settings to be written. Processing is only possible with legitimate permission. When encountering failure, first check whether the file is editable rather than repeatedly overwriting the original.

4. Are digitally signed files suitable for direct modification?

Any write operation to a PDF may affect the verification status of a digital signature. For contracts, credentials, or approval documents with valid signatures, keep the original version and consult the organization's archival, security, or legal requirements first. Do not damage signatures that need long-term verification just to change the opening interface.

5. Is it necessary to set the page display method at the same time?

No. Showing page thumbnails, page display method, and default zoom method are different settings. This article only requires that page preview be shown when the document is opened, so it is enough to enable "Show on Open" and select "Show page thumbnails". Unless there is a clear specification, there is no need to expand the scope of modification.

6. Why should you avoid directly overwriting all source files?

Batch operations apply the same parameters to multiple documents. If the options or file range are wrong, the impact will also occur in batches. Outputting to a new directory preserves room for rollback, which is especially suitable for first-time processing, files from complex sources, or materials that cannot be obtained again.

7. Summary

To make a long-document PDF show page preview as soon as it opens, the key is to modify the document's initial navigation view. When using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , enter "PDF Tools" and then "Set PDF Initial View", add files in batch, enable "Show on Open" in the processing options and select "Show page thumbnails", then set the save location and execute the processing.

For large numbers of reports, contracts, scanned documents, and manuals, this office software batch processing method can concentrate work that originally had to be completed file by file into one task, reducing repetitive clicking and helping unify the document delivery experience. You can now prepare several representative PDFs for testing to confirm that thumbnails can be automatically expanded in the target reader after processing, and then import the complete material directory in batch. After processing, perform quantity checks, effect spot checks, and original backups to balance efficiency and file security.