Split PDF
Choose a PDF
The file is read in this page and never uploaded.
Splitting pulls pages out of a PDF, either a chosen range into a single new document, or every selected page into its own file. The range syntax handles the awkward cases, and an out-of-range page is reported rather than quietly ignored.
How it works
- A range is written as numbers and spans separated by commas: 1-3, 7, 12-20.
- An open-ended span such as 12- means twelve to the last page, so you do not have to know the page count.
- Pages are numbered from 1, matching what a reader displays rather than the zero-based index underneath.
- Duplicates are collapsed, and a page outside the document or a backwards range is refused with an explanation rather than being clamped.
The selected pages are copied into a fresh document, so text stays selectable and images keep their resolution. What does not travel is document-level structure. Bookmarks, form fields and annotations are not attached to individual pages and are lost.
Extracted files are often not much smaller than the original. A PDF shares resources such as embedded fonts across pages, and a single extracted page still needs the whole font it uses.
Examples
A chapter out of a report
Pages
12-20
Result
One 9-page PDF
Both ends are inclusive, so 12-20 is nine pages rather than eight.
Scattered pages
Pages
1, 3, 7-9
Result
One 5-page PDF in that order
The pieces are combined into a single document in the order written.
Every page separately
Output
A separate PDF per page
Result
One download per selected page
Browsers ask for permission after the first few simultaneous downloads, so the page warns when you select more than a dozen.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write the page range?
Numbers and spans separated by commas: 1-3, 7, 12-20. An open-ended span such as 12- runs to the end of the document. Pages are numbered from 1 and both ends of a span are included, so 12-20 gives you nine pages.
Why is my extracted page nearly as large as the whole document?
Because a PDF shares resources across pages. An embedded font is stored once for the document, and a single extracted page that uses it still needs the whole font. Extracting one page from a 5 MB report can easily produce a 1 MB file.
Why did only the first few downloads start?
Browsers block a page from starting many downloads in quick succession, and most ask for permission after the first two or three. For a long document, extract ranges one at a time rather than splitting every page at once.
Is the original file changed?
No. The file on your disk is read and never written to. The output is a new document, and the source is left exactly as it was.
Can I reorder pages while extracting?
Yes, within the range syntax. Writing 7, 1, 3 produces a document in that order rather than sorting them. It is a side effect of the pieces being combined in the order written, and a useful one.