How to split a PDF into separate files
Splitting a PDF means extracting one or more pages from a larger document, or breaking a long file into smaller standalone pieces. It is the natural counterpart to merging: a forty-page report might contain a single chapter you need to send on its own, or a scanned booklet might need to become one file per page for filing.
With this tool you choose exactly which pages to keep and receive them as a new PDF, while the original stays untouched on your computer.
Page numbers in the selection always refer to the physical position in the file — the first page is 1 — not to any numbering printed on the pages themselves, so a chapter that starts on "page 27" of a book may well be the thirty-first page of the PDF. A quick scroll through a viewer before you type the range saves a second attempt, and because the source file is never altered you can repeat the split as many times as you like until the extract is exactly right.
Step by step
- Open the Split PDF tool and upload the document you want to divide.
- Enter the pages or ranges you need — for example 1,3,5 for individual pages or 2-6 for a range.
- Leave the field empty to split the file into one document per page.
- Press Process to generate the new file or files.
- Download the result; nothing is added to or removed from your source document.
Limits and formats at a glance
| Input | Any standard PDF up to 20 MB on the free plan (1 GB with PRO) |
|---|---|
| Page selection | Single pages, comma lists and ranges, e.g. 1,4,8-10 |
| Split-all mode | Leave the selection empty to get one PDF per page |
| Output | A single PDF, or a ZIP archive when the selection produces several files |
| Quality | Pages are copied 1:1 — never re-compressed or rasterised |
| Cost | Free, no account required |
Why use this tool
Sharing only the relevant pages keeps sensitive information private and attachments small. There is rarely a reason to send an entire policy manual when the reader needs a single clause, and trimming a document before emailing it both saves bandwidth and reduces the chance that confidential pages are seen by the wrong person.
Splitting is also a tidy way to archive. Filing one PDF per invoice, receipt or signed page makes later searches faster and keeps your folders organised.
It is a common step in everyday workflows: separating a single payslip from a yearly bundle, pulling one signed contract out of a batch sent for signature, breaking a scanned book into chapters, or extracting just the pages a colleague asked for instead of forwarding the whole file. Because the original on your computer is never modified, you can split the same document as many different ways as you need.
Splitting also pairs naturally with the other tools on this site. Extract the pages you need, then compress the result if it still exceeds an upload limit, add page numbers so the excerpt reads as a self-contained document, or convert a single table page with PDF to Excel instead of processing a whole report. Each extract is a fully standard PDF, so everything that works on the original works on the pieces.
Is it safe? Your privacy
Uploaded documents are used only to produce the pages you ask for and are erased from our servers automatically a short time after processing. The contents are never stored or analysed.
Troubleshooting: common problems and fixes
- I typed a range but got the whole document back. — Check the format: use a hyphen for ranges and commas between entries, for example 2-6 or 1,3,9-12. Words like "page two" are not recognised.
- The file is rejected because it is password-protected. — Encrypted PDFs cannot be split directly. Remove the protection first with Unlock PDF (you need the password), then split the unlocked copy.
- I need pages from several PDFs, not just one. — Combine the documents first with Merge PDF, then split the merged file — or extract from each source separately and merge the pieces afterwards.
- My extract is still too large to email. — Run it through Compress PDF after splitting; scanned pages in particular shrink dramatically with no visible quality loss.
Frequently asked questions
How do I select specific pages?
Type page numbers separated by commas, or a range with a hyphen. You can combine both, such as 1,4,8-10.
Can I split a password-protected PDF?
Remove the password first with our Unlock PDF tool, then split the unlocked file.
What if I leave the page field empty?
The tool then breaks the document into one PDF per page and returns them together in a ZIP archive — handy when you need every page as its own file for filing or upload.
Do the split files keep the original quality?
Yes. Pages are copied exactly as they are, so text, fonts and images are identical to the source; nothing is re-compressed or rasterised.
How are multiple output files delivered?
When your selection produces more than one file, they are bundled into a single ZIP download so you get everything in one click; a single-range selection downloads as one PDF.
Will the page numbers shift after splitting?
The visible content of each page is unchanged. Only the position within the new file changes, so a page that was number 7 simply becomes the first page of the extract.
Can I extract the same page into several different files?
Yes. Run the tool as many times as you like with different selections; the source PDF is never modified, so every run starts from the same complete document.
Is there a limit to how many pages I can extract at once?
Any number of pages within the free-plan file size of 20 MB. Very large documents are supported with easyPDF PRO, which raises the limit to 1 GB.