How to split a PDF by page range
Splitting cuts one PDF into smaller PDFs. You decide where each part starts and ends.
- Add your PDF. The page count appears next to the file name.
- Leave Split by on Custom ranges.
- Type the ranges, separated by commas, for example 1-3, 4-6, 7-. A range that ends with a dash runs to the last page.
- Press Split PDF. Each range becomes its own file.
When the parts are ready, download them one by one or all together in a ZIP file. Each part is named after the original file and its pages, like report-pages-04-06.pdf, so you can tell them apart.
Split PDF into multiple files, one per page
Choose Every page as its own PDF to separate PDF pages completely. A 12 page file gives you 12 small PDFs. This is useful when every page is a different document, for example a stack of certificates that was scanned in one go.
The page numbers in the file names are padded with zeros, like page-01 and page-02. That way the files sort in the right order in your downloads folder, even when there are more than nine of them.
With many parts, the ZIP download is the easy choice. Unzip it on your computer, or open it on your phone with the ZIP Extractor, and every page is there in its own file.
Real reasons to split a PDF
- An admission or job portal asks for the matric certificate and the degree as separate uploads, but you scanned them together.
- A bank statement covers a whole year and you need to send only three months.
- A visa checklist wants each document in its own file.
- A teacher shares one long PDF of notes, and you want each chapter on its own.
- An office report has an annex that only one department needs.
If you only need a few pages in one new file, Extract pages is quicker. Split is better when you want several separate files at once.
Split PDF tips and common errors
- Write ranges from low to high. 9-5 is refused; write it as 5-9.
- Pages start at 1. Asking for a page past the end gives a message telling you how many pages the file has.
- Ranges are kept in the order you type them, and they may overlap if you want the same page in two parts.
- A password-protected PDF must be unlocked first.
- A part still too big for a form? Run that part through Compress PDF.
Splitting does not change the pages themselves. Text you could select stays selectable, and scans stay as clear as before.
Not sure where one document ends and the next begins? Open the PDF in any viewer first and write down the page numbers. Then type your ranges here in one line. It is quicker than splitting every page and merging some of them back together.
Your PDF stays on your device
The file is opened and cut in your browser. It is never sent to a server, so private papers like salary slips or medical reports stay with you. You can split PDF online free on a phone as well as a computer, with no app and no sign-up.