Split PDF

Two ways to split a PDF

Extract a page range builds one new PDF from the pages you list. It is the right choice when you need a chapter from a textbook, three pages from a 40-page bank statement, or the signed last page of a contract. The pages appear in the order you type them, so 5, 1-3 puts page 5 first — handy when a scan came out in the wrong sequence.

Split every page into separate PDFs saves each page as its own file, named original-page-1.pdf, original-page-2.pdf and so on. Use it when a portal wants one document per upload, or when a batch of certificates was scanned into a single file. Files download one after another; if your browser asks whether to allow multiple downloads, say yes.

Writing a page range

The range box accepts the notation you would use in a print dialog:

• 4 — just page 4
• 2-6 — pages 2 to 6 inclusive
• 1-3, 7, 10-12 — several ranges separated by commas
• 9-7 — reversed ranges are accepted and treated as 7 to 9

Spaces are ignored, and a page number outside the document is reported with the valid range so you can fix it before anything is generated. Repeating a page (1, 1) includes it twice, which is occasionally useful for duplicate copies of a form.

Everything happens on your device

The PDF is read with the pdf-lib library inside your browser. Page objects are copied byte-for-byte into the new file, so fonts, images and vector graphics are untouched and the extracted pages are not re-rendered or recompressed. Nothing is uploaded, which matters when the document is a salary slip, a medical report or an agreement.

Password-protected files cannot be opened; the tool tells you so instead of failing silently. Remove the password in your PDF viewer (usually via “Print to PDF” or “Save as” after entering the password) and try again.

Practical limits

• Split every page stops at 200 pages per run to avoid flooding your downloads folder and exhausting memory on phones. For longer documents, split the rest using the range mode in chunks, such as 201-400.
• Extracted pages keep their original page size and rotation. Cropping or rotating requires a separate step.
• Bookmarks and links that point to pages outside the extracted range are dropped because their targets no longer exist.
• Attachments and form field values embedded at the document level (not on a page) may not carry over.

Example

A 32-page loan agreement needs the schedule of charges (pages 14–16) and the signature page (page 32) sent to a colleague. Enter 14-16, 32, press Extract pages, and you get a four-page PDF named after the original with the range in its filename — much lighter than forwarding the whole agreement and safer than screenshots.

Frequently asked questions