PDF guides6 min read
How to split a PDF into separate files
Pull out the pages you need, or cut a big PDF into pieces by page count, file size, bookmarks or blank separator sheets.
Splitting is the opposite of merging, and it's just as safe. The pages you choose are copied into a new file as they are. Nothing is compressed again and nothing loses quality.
It's also a simple way to protect your privacy. If someone asks for three pages, send them three pages, and not the whole 80-page bundle that has your bank details on page 62.
The thing that catches people out is page numbers. The number printed at the bottom of a page and its position in the file are often different, because covers, contents pages and pages numbered i, ii, iii throw the count off. The tool always goes by position in the file, so check the thumbnails and not the printed numbers.
Keep in mind that splitting works with whole pages only. It can't remove one sensitive paragraph from a page you're keeping, and it doesn't clean the file's hidden details. If something must be unreadable, you need redaction.
You don't have to pick pages by hand, either. The tool can split every few pages, into a set number of equal parts, at each bookmark, wherever a phrase appears, at a maximum file size, or at blank sheets between scanned documents. Whichever you choose, you see the result as groups of thumbnails before any files are made.
When you might need this
- You only want to send the pages someone asked for.
- You want each chapter, receipt or form in its own file.
- A big document is easier to deal with in smaller pieces.
- Some pages have information the other person shouldn't see.
- A website won't take a file over a certain size.
How to do it
- Open Split PDF.
- Add your document.
- Choose how to split it: one file per page, every N pages, a set number of equal parts, a maximum file size, bookmarks, pages that contain a phrase, blank separator sheets, odd and even pages, or pages you pick yourself.
- Set the options and look at the grouped thumbnails to check where the cuts fall. If a cut is in the wrong place, click the scissors between two pages to move it.
- Create the files and download them one by one, or all together in one archive.
- Open each file and check its first and last page.
Free, with no account. Open it in a new tab and follow along.
Open Split PDFTips
- Go by the thumbnails, not the numbers printed on the pages. Covers and front matter usually make the two disagree.
- Give each file a clear name so you can tell them apart later without opening them.
- Keep the original until you've checked every new file.
- If you're splitting to keep something private, open the new files and make sure the pages you left out are really gone.
- If you split the same kind of report every month, write the page ranges down. The layout rarely changes, so last month's ranges are a good starting point.
- Picking pages from the thumbnails is the quickest way to grab scattered pages. You just click them instead of typing numbers.
- If the document has bookmarks, split at those. The bookmarks already mark where each chapter starts, so it's more reliable than counting pages.
- If you're trying to get under an upload limit, use the file size option instead of guessing a page count. One photo can weigh more than fifty pages of text.
- Use the file name template to make names that sort properly. A zero in front, like 02, keeps part 2 ahead of part 10.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the printed page number with the position in the file. Your ranges end up off by however many front pages there are.
- Thinking splitting and redaction are the same thing. Splitting removes whole pages. It doesn't hide text on a page you keep.
- Splitting a big scanned document and then losing track of which piece came from where.
- Deleting the original before checking the new files.
- Leaving every file with the default name. A week later, the folder is a guessing game.
How this compares to Smallpdf, iLovePDF and Adobe
Smallpdf and iLovePDF both split PDFs after you upload them, and the free plans limit how many files you can process before asking you to pay. Adobe's online tool works the same way, with a sign-in on top.
Privacy matters more for splitting than for most PDF jobs, because the usual reason to split a file is that part of it is private. Uploading the whole thing to someone else's server just to pull out the safe pages rather misses the point.
Our tool splits the file in your browser and writes the pages you chose to new files. There's no account and no task counter.
| Criterion | Smallpdf | iLovePDF | Adobe Acrobat online | Easy File Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | On their servers, after you upload it | On their servers, after you upload it | In Adobe's cloud, after you upload it | In your browser, on your own device |
| Account or sign-in | Asked for early, and needed once you pass the free allowance | Optional for small jobs, needed for bigger ones | Most online tools need an Adobe ID | Never needed |
| Usage limits | A few free tasks, then an upgrade prompt | Daily task and file limits on the free plan | The free web tools are mostly a preview of the paid plan | No task counters and no daily limits |
| File size ceiling | The free plan limits upload size | The free plan limits upload size | Cloud upload limits apply | We don't set one. Your device's memory is the practical limit |
| Works without a connection | No, their server does the work | No, their server does the work | No, the cloud does the work | Yes for the browser tools, once the page has loaded |
| Cost | Paid subscription for full access | Paid subscription for full access | Paid Acrobat subscription for full access | Free. Every tool is open to everyone |
Other services change their plans and limits often, so treat this as a rough picture and not a price list. Check their websites for the current details.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I extract just one page?
- Yes. Use Extract specific pages and type the single page number, or set the same page as both the start and end of a range.
- Can I pull out two separate ranges, such as pages 1 to 3 and 8 to 10?
- Not in one go with Extract page range, because it takes one continuous range at a time. Run it twice, or use visual selection to click both groups of pages and put them in one document.
- Will splitting change the content?
- No. The pages you choose are copied into the new PDF exactly as they were.
- Can I split into many files at once?
- Yes, with a mode that makes separate files. Split into individual pages makes one file per page, and Extract specific pages and Visual page selection make one file per page you choose. Extract page range and the combined visual mode make a single document instead.
- Does splitting remove private text from the pages I keep?
- No. Splitting works with whole pages. To remove something from a page you're keeping, you need a redaction tool.
- Is the file uploaded to a server?
- No. The PDF is read and split in your browser.
- Can I split a document every few pages automatically?
- Yes. The "Every N pages" option takes a page count and does the math for you. "Into equal parts" takes a number of files instead and divides the document as evenly as it can.
- Can I split a scan of many documents into one file each?
- Yes, if you put a blank sheet between the documents before you scan. The blank separator option finds those sheets, lists them so you can confirm, and gives you one file per document. We walk through it in the guide on splitting a scanned batch.