To split a PDF, choose the pages you want and save them as a new file. In Split PDF, attach the PDF, type the pages to keep, such as 1-3, 5, and click Split PDF. You get a new file with just those pages, and the original stays as it was. It works in your browser, without uploading anything. On Windows or a Mac, you can also print chosen pages to a new PDF.
How to extract pages from a PDF
- Open Split PDF and attach your PDF, or drop it on the page. The tool tells you how many pages it has.
- In Pages to keep, type the pages you want, like
1-3, 5. - Click Split PDF.
- Click Download new PDF. It’s named after your file, with “-pages” on the end.
To pull out a single page, type just its number, such as 4. The new file has that one page and nothing else.
How to type the pages
Separate pages with commas, and use a dash for a run of pages.
| You type | Your new PDF has |
|---|---|
5 | Page 5 only |
1-3 | Pages 1, 2 and 3 |
1-3, 7 | Pages 1, 2, 3 and 7 |
8- | Page 8 to the last page |
5, 1-3 | Page 5 first, then pages 1 to 3 |
Pages go into the new file in the order you type them, which is a quick way to bring one page to the front. Write each range low to high: 3-1 won’t work. Spaces don’t matter.
The numbers are positions in the file, counted from the first page. If a document’s printed page numbers start later, for example after a cover and a contents page, the printed “page 1” might be the third page of the PDF. Your PDF viewer shows the position next to the page count, so go by that.
Splitting a PDF into several files
Each run of Split PDF makes one new file. To break a document into parts, run it once for each part. The PDF stays attached, so you only need to change the pages and click again. For example, to split a 30-page report into three:
- Type
1-10, split and download. - Type
11-20, split and download. - Type
21-, split and download.
Each download has the same name, so your browser may add (1) or (2) to the later ones. Rename them as you go, so you know which part is which.
What the new file keeps
Split PDF copies the pages you chose into a new file. Each page looks exactly as it did, at the same size and quality, with its comments. Links to websites still work, and so do links between pages you kept.
Some things belong to the whole document rather than to a page, and aren’t carried over: the title and author, bookmarks, fillable form fields, attachments, accessibility tags and custom page labels. The tool lists any it found. Links that point to pages you left out are removed.
The tool also makes sure the pages you leave out don’t quietly travel with the new file. Copying a page can drag along pieces of others, such as a linked page, the other half of a form field, or images only other pages use. Split PDF cuts these away wherever it can do so without harming the pages you kept. That matters when you’re sending someone only the part of a document they need.
If the PDF is digitally signed, the new file won’t carry a valid signature. Send the signed original if that matters.
When Delete Pages is the better fit
Split PDF suits keeping a few pages. If you want to keep most of a document and drop a few, Delete Pages is quicker. To remove pages 12 and 30 from a 40-page file, you would type 1-11, 13-29, 31- in Split PDF, but only 12, 30 in Delete Pages. Both build the new file in the same careful way.
To change the order without losing any pages, use Reorder Pages. To go the other way and join files together, see How to merge PDF files for free.
Other ways: print to PDF
Printing chosen pages to a PDF works on any computer, without extra software.
On Windows
- Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
- Press Ctrl+P.
- Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. In Chrome, Save as PDF works too.
- Under Pages, choose to enter your own pages and type them, such as
2-5. - Click Print or Save, then choose a name and folder.
On a Mac
- Open the PDF in Preview and choose File > Print.
- Under Pages, set the range. Or select pages in the sidebar first, then choose to print only those.
- Open the PDF menu at the bottom of the window and choose Save as PDF.
Printing makes a fresh PDF from a print of the pages. Text usually stays selectable, but links and bookmarks are often lost, form fields can be flattened into plain text, and the file gets new dates and software details. Adobe Acrobat Pro can extract pages directly, from its Organize Pages tool.
Common problems
- “Outside this PDF.” A page number is higher than the page count. The tool tells you how many pages the file has when you attach it.
- “Runs backwards.” Write ranges low to high, such as
4-9. - A password-protected file. Remove the password first, then attach the PDF again.
- The wrong pages came out. The printed page numbers probably differ from the positions in the file. Count from the first page of the PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract one page from a PDF?
Attach the PDF to Split PDF, type that page’s number, such as 7, and click Split PDF. You get a one-page PDF. Printing just that page to PDF also works.
How do I split a PDF into multiple files?
Run Split PDF once for each part, changing the pages each time, for example 1-10, then 11-20. Each run downloads a separate file.
Can I split a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. Split PDF is free and works in any modern browser. Windows and macOS can also print chosen pages to a new PDF.
Does splitting a PDF change the original?
No. You download a new file, and the original stays exactly as it was.
