How splitting works
A PDF is a list of pages. Splitting copies some of those pages into a brand-new PDF and leaves the original file untouched. Each new file holds full copies of its pages, so text stays selectable, images keep their quality, and the fonts the pages need come along with them.
The work happens in your browser. The file is read from your device, split in memory and handed back as downloads. Nothing is uploaded, which matters when the PDF is a contract, a bank statement or a medical report.
Three ways to split
| Mode | What you enter | Result for a 10-page PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Custom ranges | 1-3, 5, 8-10 |
3 files: pages 1–3, page 5, pages 8–10 |
| Every N pages | 4 |
3 files: pages 1–4, 5–8, 9–10 |
| Every page | nothing | 10 files, one page each |
Custom ranges suit documents with clear sections, such as a report with an appendix. Every N pages is handy for stacks of scanned forms where each form is the same length. Every page is the quickest way to get single-page files, for example to send separate invoices to different people.
Worked example
Say you scanned twelve pages in one go: a 2-page application form, an 8-page bank statement and a 2-page ID copy. You want three separate files for an online portal.
- Choose the scan and select Custom ranges.
- Type
1-2, 3-10, 11-12. - The thumbnails now show “File 1”, “File 2” or “File 3” under each page, so you can check that page 3 really is the first page of the statement.
- Click Split into 3 files. You get
scan-pages-1-2.pdf,scan-pages-3-10.pdfandscan-pages-11-12.pdf, plus a ZIP with all three.
If a page is in the wrong place, fix the order first with Organize PDF, then split.
Rules for page ranges
- Separate ranges with commas:
1-3, 7, 9-12. Spaces are fine. - A dash joins the first and last page of a range.
3-3is the same as3. - Leave one side of the dash empty for an open range:
8-means page 8 to the end, and-4means pages 1 to 4. - You can write
endorlastinstead of the final page number, as in5-end. - Ranges may overlap.
1-5, 5-9puts page 5 in both files, which is useful for a cover sheet. - Page numbers count from the first page of the file, even if the document prints different numbers on its pages.
If you type something the tool cannot use, such as a page that does not exist, the message under the box tells you what to change before you split.
What stays the same, and what does not
Pages keep their size, orientation and content. Links that jump between two pages in the same new file still work. Links to pages that went into a different file are removed, because they would point nowhere.
Bookmarks (the outline in the sidebar of a PDF reader) and fillable form settings belong to the whole document, so they are not copied into the parts. If you need one specific page range as a single file with no other changes, Extract PDF Pages does that in one step.
Tips
- Keep the parts small for email. Splitting a large scan by section often brings each part under an attachment limit. If a part is still too big, run it through Compress PDF.
- Split, then recombine. To pull sections out of several documents and join them in a new order, split each one and put the parts together with Merge PDF.
- Locked files. If the PDF asks for a password when you open it, remove the password first with Unlock PDF. You need to know the password; the tool does not guess it.
- Very large files. Everything runs on your device, so a 1,000-page PDF needs a few seconds and some free memory. On a phone, close other apps first.
For more examples, such as saving only the pages you need or splitting a scanned bundle into separate documents, read how to split a PDF.
Splitting on a phone
On iPhone and Android, tap Choose PDF file and pick the PDF from Files, Downloads or a cloud drive. When the split is done, download the ZIP or tap Download next to each part. On iPhone the files appear in the Files app, in the Downloads folder.