How to split a PDF into separate files or pages

Splitting, extracting and deleting pages

People say "split a PDF" for a few different jobs, and it helps to know which one you need. Splitting means cutting one PDF into several files, for example one file per page, or one file per invoice in a scanner batch. Extracting means taking some pages out into one new file, such as the signature page of a contract. Deleting pages means keeping the document as one file but without the pages you do not need.

All three work the same way inside. The good tools copy the pages into a new file instead of redrawing them, so text stays selectable, scans keep their quality and nothing is compressed again. The new files are usually smaller than the original, roughly in proportion to their pages. Fonts and images shared by several pages are stored again in each part that uses them, though, so all parts together can be larger than the original.

Split a PDF on a Mac with Preview

Preview has no Split command, but it can do the job. The quickest way is to drag thumbnails out of the sidebar. In recent versions of macOS, Preview creates a new PDF with the pages you dragged, named after the original. To get one file per page, drag the pages out one at a time.

Another way is to print. Choose File > Print, enter a page range, then open the PDF menu at the bottom of the dialog and choose Save as PDF. This writes a new file with only those pages. Printing rebuilds the pages, so links and form fields may not survive; the drag method keeps more of the original. Preview saves changes into the file you opened when you delete pages, so work on a copy if you go that route.

1. Open the PDF in Preview and choose View > Thumbnails.
2. Select the pages you want, holding Command to pick several or Shift for a run of pages.
3. Drag the selected thumbnails onto the desktop or into a Finder window.
4. Rename the new PDF that appears there.

Split a PDF on the command line with qpdf

qpdf is free and open source and runs on Linux, macOS and Windows. Its --pages option builds a new file from page ranges. The dot means "the input file", and the two dashes end the list of pages. Ranges can be combined with commas, and z stands for the last page, so 5-z means page 5 to the end.

The --split-pages option writes one file per page. With a number, such as --split-pages=2, every file gets that many pages, which suits a batch of two-page forms scanned in one go. The %d in the output name is replaced by the page numbers, padded with zeros so the files sort correctly.

# Pages 1 to 3 into a new file
qpdf input.pdf --pages . 1-3 -- part1.pdf

# Pages 2, 5 and 8 to the end
qpdf input.pdf --pages . 2,5,8-z -- selection.pdf

# One file per page, or a new file every 2 pages
qpdf --split-pages input.pdf page-%d.pdf
qpdf --split-pages=2 input.pdf part-%d.pdf

Split a PDF with pdfseparate

pdfseparate comes with Poppler, in the poppler-utils package on most Linux systems and in Homebrew's poppler package on a Mac. It always writes one file per page, and the output name must contain %d, which becomes the page number. Use -f and -l to limit it to a range. To put several single pages back together into one file, its companion pdfunite does the opposite.

# One file per page, for pages 3 to 7
pdfseparate -f 3 -l 7 input.pdf page-%d.pdf

Split a PDF with Adobe Acrobat

In Adobe Acrobat, splitting is part of the Organize Pages tool, which is one of Acrobat's paid features; the free Acrobat Reader cannot split files. Organize Pages shows thumbnails of all pages, and its Split option can divide a document by a number of pages, by a maximum file size or by top-level bookmarks. Splitting by bookmarks is useful for a report or a manual where each chapter has its own bookmark. Menu names have moved between versions, so look for Organize Pages in the list of tools.

Split a PDF on Windows without extra software

Windows has no built-in tool for splitting PDFs. You can open the PDF in Microsoft Edge, choose Print, enter a page range and print to Microsoft Print to PDF or Save as PDF. Like Preview's print route, this rebuilds the pages, so it may lose links, bookmarks and form fields. A browser tool that copies the pages is the cleaner option when you cannot install software.

Split a PDF in your browser with FileReshape

FileReshape's Split PDF tool runs in any modern browser, on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks and phones. The PDF is read and split on your own device and is not uploaded. After you drop the file, a thumbnail of every page appears, so you can see where each part begins. You choose one of three ways to split it. Every page as its own PDF gives one file per page. By page ranges gives one file per range you type, such as 1-3, 5, 8-10, and "8-" means page 8 to the last page. Every N pages starts a new file every N pages, and the last file holds whatever is left.

Ranges can overlap, so "1-2, 1-5" gives two files that both start with page 1, which is handy when a cover page should go with every part. Several parts are downloaded as a zip. A single range gives you one PDF. The files are named after the original, such as report_page3.pdf for one page or report_pages1-4.pdf for a range, with zero padding in documents of 10 pages or more.

Page numbers are positions in the file, counted from the first page. When the PDF has its own page labels, such as roman numerals for a preface, the thumbnails show them in brackets so you can match them. Each part keeps the bookmarks that point to its own pages, and form fields stay fillable with their current values. Links to pages in another part are removed rather than left broken. Page labels are not carried over. A digital signature is not valid in the parts, and encrypted PDFs cannot be split.

1. Open the Split PDF page and drop your PDF in the box.
2. Choose every page, page ranges or every N pages, and type the ranges or the number if needed.
3. Click Split PDF and download the zip, or the single PDF.

Extract, delete, reorder or merge pages instead

If you want a few scattered pages in one file, such as pages 2, 7 and 9, use the Extract PDF pages tool. Click the thumbnails or type the numbers, and you get one new PDF with those pages in their original order. The Delete PDF pages tool does the opposite and saves the document without the pages you pick, which is the quick fix for blank backs in a duplex scan.

To change the order of pages, rotate them or remove some in one step, use Organize PDF. And when you need parts of different files in one document, split or extract them first, then join the pieces with Merge PDF. Like the split tool, all of these work in your browser without uploading the file.