How to Split a PDF or Extract Pages From It

Sometimes you only need part of a PDF: one chapter, the pages with a signature, or a long document cut into smaller files. Two tools cover this, Split PDF and Extract PDF Pages. They look similar, but they give different results. This guide explains which one to use and how to write the page numbers.

Split or extract: which one do you need?

Use Extract PDF Pages when you want one new PDF that contains only the pages you choose, for example pages 1-3, 5 and 8-10 together.
Use Split PDF when you want several separate PDFs, for example one file for pages 1-3 and another for pages 4-6, or every page as its own file.
In both cases the original file is not changed. You always get new files.

How to write page numbers

Page numbers start at 1.
Write single pages as 5 and ranges as 2-5.
Separate several entries with commas, for example 1-3, 5, 8-10.
Every number must be inside the page count of your document. The tool shows the page count after you choose a file, and it tells you if a number is outside the document or a range is written backwards.

Extracting pages, step by step

Open the Extract PDF Pages tool and choose your PDF.
Type the pages you want, for example 1-3, 5, 8-10.
Select Extract pages and wait for the process to finish.
Check the page count and download the new PDF.

How extraction orders the pages

Pages appear in the new file in the order you type them, so entering 5, 1-2 puts page 5 first. A page entered more than once is included only once. If you need a different arrangement afterwards, use the Reorder PDF Pages tool on the result.

Splitting a PDF, step by step

Open the Split PDF tool and choose your PDF.
Select a split method. With page ranges, every comma-separated range becomes its own PDF, so 1-3, 4-6 creates two files. With the every-page option, each page becomes its own PDF.
Select Split PDF and wait for the process to finish.
Download the result. If more than one file is created, they are packed together in a ZIP file.

Limits to know

Input: one PDF file up to 50 MB.
Splitting every page is available for PDFs with up to 200 pages. For longer documents, use page ranges instead.
Password-protected PDFs are not supported. Remove the password first, then choose the file again.

Common mistakes

Using Split when you wanted a single file: if you typed 1-3, 5 into Split PDF you get two separate files. Use Extract PDF Pages for one combined file.
Counting printed page numbers instead of PDF pages: a document may show page 1 on its third sheet because of a cover. Use the position of the page in the PDF viewer, which is what the tool counts.
Typing a range backwards, such as 5-2. The first page must not be higher than the last page.

Check the result

Open the new file in a PDF viewer before you send or delete anything. Compare the page count with what you expected, and make sure the first and last page of each part are the right ones. Keep the original file until you are sure.

Ready to try it? Extract PDF pages or split a PDF. To combine files afterwards, use Merge PDF. See all guides.