How to split a PDF: extract a page range or one file per page
2 min read
A 90-page report where you need pages 12 to 18. A scanned bundle where every invoice should be its own file. Splitting a PDF is the reverse of merging and, done locally, it is just as quick.
The split tool reads the document in your browser and writes new PDFs from the pages you pick. The original is never uploaded and never modified.
Open tool →Split PDFExtract a page range, or explode a document into one PDF per page. Runs locally.Two jobs that both get called splitting
There is a difference between extracting a section and exploding a document into single pages, and the tool handles both because they are the same operation with a different range.
Extract a range
Choose a start and end page and get one new PDF containing exactly those pages. This is the right move when you need a chapter, an appendix or a specific invoice out of a longer document.
One file per page
Turn a 40-page scan into 40 single-page PDFs in one pass. Useful when a bundled scan has to be filed document by document, or when you want to keep some pages and discard the rest.
The steps
Split a PDF without uploading it
- Open the PDFDrop the file on the split tool. It reads the real page count and shows it before you choose anything.
- Pick the rangeEnter the first and last page you want, or switch to one-file-per-page mode.
- SplitThe new PDFs are assembled on your device from the pages you selected.
- DownloadSave the single extracted file, or the whole set as separate downloads.
Deleting pages instead of extracting
If what you actually want is the same document with a few pages removed, extraction is usually the wrong tool — you would have to list every page you want to keep. The reorder tool fits better: it shows every page as a thumbnail, lets you delete the ones you do not want and saves the rest as one file.
Open tool →Rotate & reorder pagesSee every page, rotate or delete the ones you do not want, drag to reorder, then save.Things to check
- Page numbers printed in the source are not the same as PDF page indices. A document that starts numbering at “i” still has its first page as page 1 to the tool.
- Splitting does not compress. Each output carries the images of the pages it contains, so splitting a scan-heavy PDF into forty files can use more disk than the original.
- If the pieces need to go back together in a different order, merge them afterwards instead of editing the original.
Keep the original until you have checked the output. A split is a copy operation — the source is untouched — but it is easy to lose track of which file is which when forty of them land in your downloads folder.
Tools used in this guide
Questions about this guide
- Can I split a PDF into equal parts?
- Yes, by extracting consecutive ranges: pages 1–10, 11–20 and so on. The tool works with ranges rather than “split into N parts” because ranges let you keep uneven sections such as a cover page intact.
- Does splitting keep the page size?
- Yes. Each page keeps its original dimensions and rotation, exactly as in the source document.
- Can I split a password-protected PDF?
- Not while it is still encrypted. Unlock it in your reader, save an unencrypted copy, then split that.
All guides
- How to merge PDF files without uploading themCombine several PDFs into one document, in the order you choose, entirely in your browser. No upload, no account, no page limit.
- How to compress an image without losing visible qualityRe-encode a JPEG, PNG or WebP at a quality you choose, with the before and after size side by side. Runs in your browser.
Written and maintained by the FreeOnlineBox project. Every tool named in this guide runs on the reader’s own device; no file described here is uploaded to check it.