How to split a PDF
- Drop a PDF onto the box or press Choose files. Its page count appears once it has been read.
- Choose a method. Every N pages cuts the document into equal parts. By ranges makes one file per range you list. Extract pages copies the pages you list into a single new file.
- Type the numbers. Before anything is written, a list shows exactly which pages will go into each file, so you can check it first.
- Press Split PDF. One result downloads as a PDF; several are bundled into a single ZIP so your browser does not ask about a dozen separate downloads.
Output files are named after the original and the pages they contain, for example report-p1-3.pdf and report-p4.pdf, so they sort in page order.
How splitting works
Each page in a PDF is a self-contained object that points to the fonts, images and drawing instructions it uses. To split, the tool creates a new empty PDF for each output file and copies the chosen page objects into it, together with everything they reference. Nothing is re-drawn or re-compressed, so the text stays selectable, vector graphics stay sharp and images keep their original quality.
Because each output file carries its own copy of any shared resources, splitting can make the parts add up to more than the original. A 40-page report that embeds one large font will contain that font in every part. This is normal and is the price of each file being able to stand on its own.
Page numbers
Page numbers count from 1 in the order the pages appear in the file, which is not always the number printed on the page: a book with roman-numbered front matter may show "1" on its eleventh page. Ranges can run backwards (5-3 gives pages 5, 4, 3), be open-ended (8- means page 8 to the end) and repeat a page if you want it twice.
The ZIP file
When there are several results, they are packed into a ZIP using the "stored" method — no compression — because PDF contents are already compressed and zipping them again would only cost time. File names are written as UTF-8, so names in any language survive when the archive is opened on Windows, macOS or Linux with a current unzip tool.
Examples
| Document | Setting | Result |
|---|---|---|
| report.pdf, 3 pages | Every 1 page | report-p1.pdf, report-p2.pdf, report-p3.pdf |
| report.pdf, 3 pages | Ranges 1-2, 3 | report-p1-2.pdf (2 pages) and report-p3.pdf (1 page) |
| report.pdf, 3 pages | Extract 3, 1 | one file with page 3 followed by page 1 |
| long.pdf, 100 pages | Every 30 pages | 4 files; the last, long-p91-100.pdf, has 10 pages |
A common job: a scanned stack of signed forms arrives as one 60-page PDF with two pages per person. Every 2 pages turns it into 30 files, one per person, ready to rename and file.
Limits
- Password-protected files cannot be split without first removing the password in a PDF reader.
- Bookmarks, form fields and attachments belong to the whole document and are not copied into the parts.
- Splitting does not reduce the file size of scanned pages. A part containing ten scanned pages is as large as those ten pages were.
- Very large files are limited by your device's memory; splitting a few hundred megabytes works on a desktop browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The file is read and split inside your browser, and the results are created on your device.
How do I save each page as a separate PDF?
Choose Every N pages and leave N at 1. You will get one file per page, bundled in a ZIP.
How do I take out just a few pages?
Choose Extract pages and list them, for example 2, 5-7. They are saved together as one new PDF in the order you typed.
Why are the split files larger in total than the original?
Each part includes its own copy of the fonts and images its pages use. Resources that were shared once in the original are repeated in every part that needs them.
Does splitting reduce quality?
No. Pages are copied as they are, without re-rendering or re-compressing.