How to split a PDF into pages

The short answer

To split a PDF, add it to a splitter and choose either a page range, such as 1-3,5, or "every page". The Split PDF tool does both: ranges give you one new PDF with only the pages you listed, and the every-page mode gives you a ZIP with one PDF per page. It runs in your browser, so the document is not uploaded.

Ranges or every page: which to choose

Use a range when you want some pages together in one file, and use every page when you want each page as its own file. The two modes solve different problems:

• Range (extract pages): you need pages 3 to 6 of a 40-page report, or the first and last page of a form. The result is one PDF.
• Every page: you have a combined scan of 12 receipts and want 12 separate files. The result is a ZIP of single-page PDFs.

If you are not sure, start with a range. It is quicker, and you can always run the tool again for other pages.

How to extract pages with a range

A range is a list of page numbers and spans separated by commas. Follow these steps:

1. Open Split PDF and add your file.
2. Type the pages in the range box. Use a dash for a span and a comma between parts.
3. Click Extract pages.
4. Download the new PDF and check it.

Here is how common ranges behave:

• 3 gives only page 3.
• 1-3 gives pages 1, 2 and 3.
• 1-3,5 gives pages 1 to 3, then page 5.
• 1-3,5,8-10 gives pages 1 to 3, page 5 and pages 8 to 10.

The pages are saved in the order you type them, so 5,1-3 puts page 5 first. That is a handy way to reorder, although for bigger reordering jobs Organize PDF lets you drag pages.

How to split every page

Choosing Split every page makes one PDF per page, and the pages arrive in a single ZIP file. After you click the button, download the ZIP and extract it. Files are named in page order, so they sort correctly. On a phone, a ZIP may need a file manager to open: on iPhone use Files, and on Android use Files by Google or your phone's file manager.

Splitting on a phone

Splitting works the same on a phone as on a computer, and you only need a modern browser. Open the page, tap to add a PDF from your phone's file picker, type the range or choose every page, and download the result. The downloaded file goes to your Downloads folder on Android, and to Files then Downloads on iPhone. For long documents, use a range instead of every page, because a ZIP with hundreds of files is heavy for a phone to handle.

Common reasons to split a PDF

• Send only the relevant pages. Remove the rest instead of emailing a 60-page file.
• Fit an upload limit. A smaller part of the document may fit a limit that the full file does not. Our guide on reducing PDF size has other options.
• Separate combined scans. A scanner often produces one long PDF from many documents.
• Pull out a signature or ID page that a form asks for separately.
• Share one chapter of a larger document.

Tips before you split

• Look at the page count and check which pages you really need before typing a range. Page 1 is the first page of the PDF file, not necessarily the number printed on the page. A book with a cover and a contents page might show "1" on the PDF's fifth page.
• Rotate sideways pages first with Rotate PDF, so the extracted pages are the right way up.
• If you need to put pieces of different files together afterwards, use Merge PDF. Our guide on merging PDFs on a phone shows the steps.
• Keep the original. Splitting creates new files and leaves the source as it was.

Troubleshooting

The tool says the range is invalid. Use only numbers, dashes and commas, with no spaces or words, and make sure no page number is higher than the page count.

The PDF will not open in the tool. It may be password-protected. Remove the password in the program that created it, then try again.

The pages came out in a different order than I expected. Pages are saved in the order you typed them. Retype the range in the order you want.

The result is still large. Splitting keeps each page's content unchanged, so a page full of scanned images stays heavy. Fewer pages means a smaller file, but a single heavy page will not shrink.

Privacy

Splitting happens in your browser: the PDF is read from your device, the new files are created on your device, and nothing is sent to our servers. That makes it suitable for contracts, ID copies and bank statements. Close the tab when you are done, and the document is gone from the page.