Sometimes you don't need a whole 200-page PDF; you need chapter three, or just the signature page. Splitting a PDF lets you break it into smaller files or pull out specific pages to share, print, or archive.
Ways to split a PDF
- Every page: one output file per page, useful for scanned batches of separate documents.
- By range: for example pages 1-5 and 6-12 as two files, good for chapters or sections.
- Extract selected pages: keep only the pages you name, such as 2, 7, and 10-12.
- Delete pages instead: remove the pages you don't want and keep the rest.
Step by step
- 1Open the PDF in a splitting tool. A visual page picker helps when you don't know the page numbers.
- 2Choose how to split: by range, by every page, or by selected pages.
- 3Double-check the page numbers against what you see in the document; the number printed on a page can differ from its position in the file.
- 4Download the results and open one to confirm it contains what you expected.
Things that trip people up
- Printed vs file page numbers: a book with roman-numeral front matter puts printed page 1 at file page 9 or later. Splitting works on file positions.
- Bookmarks and links: internal links may break when their target page ends up in a different file.
- Encrypted PDFs: you generally need to unlock the file with its password first.
- Fillable forms: form fields belong to the pages they sit on and may lose connections to calculations on other pages.
Splitting locally
Documents you split are often exactly the ones you shouldn't upload: contracts, statements, and IDs. A browser-based splitter processes the file on your own device, so it never leaves your computer.
Frequently asked questions
+How do I extract a single page from a PDF?
Use a split or extract tool and specify just that page number. The tool creates a new PDF containing only that page.
+Will splitting change the quality of my pages?
No. The pages are copied as they are, so text and images keep their quality.
+Can I split a password-protected PDF?
You usually need to remove the password first, using the password itself, and then split the file.
+What is the difference between splitting and extracting pages?
Splitting divides a document into several files. Extracting pulls selected pages into one new file. Many tools offer both.
Split PDF
Free, runs in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded.