How to Split PDF: By Pages, Size, or Bookmarks (Complete Guide)

Why Split a PDF?

There are many reasons you might need to divide a PDF into smaller files:

• Extract specific pages: Pull out just the pages you need to share
• Reduce file size: Split large documents to meet email attachment limits
• Organize content: Separate chapters or sections into individual files
• Remove unwanted pages: Isolate the content you want to keep
• Distribute selectively: Share different sections with different people

Method 1: Split by Page Numbers

The most common way to split PDFs is by specifying which pages you want:

1. Go to our Split PDF tool
2. Upload your PDF document
3. Enter the page numbers or ranges you want to extract (e.g., "1-5, 8, 12-15")
4. Click Split and download your extracted pages

Page Number Examples

• "1-5": Extract pages 1 through 5
• "3, 7, 12": Extract only pages 3, 7, and 12
• "1-3, 8-10": Extract pages 1-3 and 8-10
• "5-end": Extract from page 5 to the last page

Method 2: Split Into Equal Parts

Divide a document into sections of equal length:

• Split every N pages: Create a new file every 5, 10, or 20 pages
• Split into N parts: Divide into exactly 2, 3, or 4 equal sections

This is useful for:

• Breaking up large manuals into chapters
• Creating multiple handouts from a single document
• Distributing work among team members

Method 3: Extract Single Pages

Sometimes you just need one page from a large document:

1. Upload your PDF
2. Enter a single page number (e.g., "7")
3. Download the extracted page

Perfect for extracting a specific form, certificate, or page to share.

Method 4: Remove Pages (Inverse Split)

Instead of extracting pages, you can remove specific pages and keep the rest. This is the opposite approach:

• Split: "Give me pages 1-5" → You get pages 1-5
• Remove: "Remove pages 6-10" → You get everything except pages 6-10

Tips for Efficient Splitting

Before You Split

1. Check page count: Know how many pages your document has
2. Identify content: Scroll through to find where chapters or sections begin
3. Note page numbers: Write down which pages contain what content

After You Split

1. Rename files: Give extracted files meaningful names
2. Verify content: Open each file to confirm you got the right pages
3. Consider merging: Use Merge PDF if you need to recombine files later

Common Use Cases

Academic

• Extract specific chapters from textbooks
• Separate assignment sheets from answer keys
• Pull out readings for different class sessions

Business

• Extract pages for different departments
• Separate invoices from a batch PDF
• Create individual proposals from a master document

Personal

• Extract recipes from a cookbook PDF
• Separate tax documents by year
• Pull out specific photos from a PDF album

File Size Considerations

Splitting a PDF doesn't always reduce file size proportionally. A 10-page extract from a 100-page document won't necessarily be 10% of the original size because:

• Fonts and resources may be embedded in each split file
• High-resolution images on extracted pages retain their full size

For smaller files, use Compress PDF after splitting.