Runs in your browser with pdf.js and pdf-lib
Split PDF Files Online — by range, every page, chunks, or odd/even
Pull out a chapter, give every invoice its own file, or cut a long scan into equal parts. See which page lands in which file before you split.
- PDF files aren't uploaded to our server
- Four split modes
- Readable page previews
- Free, no account
Divide one PDF into several
Add a PDF, pick how to split it, and check the page map before you create the files.
Drop your PDF here
or browse — one PDF, any number of pages
Page map
Each tag shows the file a page goes into. Click a page to see it full size.
What this tool actually does
Splitting makes copies — it never cuts the original
Every output is a new PDF built from copied pages. The file on your device stays exactly as it was.
One PDF that is really several documents
A month of invoices exported as one file. A scanned stack of exam papers. A textbook where you only need chapter 4. Each is the same job underneath: copy a group of pages into a new file.
Pick a split mode and the page map shows, before anything is created, which file every page will go into. pdf.js renders the page previews and pdf-lib builds the new files — both run in your browser tab, so your PDF isn't uploaded to our server.
What you can set before splitting
Split mode
Page ranges, every page, fixed chunks, or odd and even. The file count updates as you type.
Page map
Every page preview carries a tag like "File 2" or "Not included". Switch previews to Large, or open any page full size, to read where a section starts.
Extract into one file
Turn on "Put all these pages in one PDF" to pull scattered pages, like 1, 5 and 8, into a single document.
File names
Each result gets a descriptive name you can edit before downloading, one at a time or all in sequence.
How to split a PDF in four steps
Change the mode or range after splitting and split again — your PDF stays loaded.
Add your PDF
Drop a PDF onto the upload area, or click Select PDF. Page previews load as you scroll, so long documents open quickly.
Use Large previews, or click a page to see it full size, to find where each section starts.
Choose a mode
Pick the mode that matches how the document is built:
- Page ranges: type parts like 1-3, 5, 8- — each part is one file.
- Every page: one file per page.
- Fixed chunks: a new file every N pages.
- Odd and even: two files split by page number.
Check the page map, then split
Every preview shows the file it will go into. When the tags look right, click Split PDF — pdf-lib copies those pages into new files in this tab.
Your PDF isn't uploaded to our server.
Rename and download
Edit any file name in the results list, then download files one by one or click Download all to save them in sequence.
One file in, separate files out
A bundled document divided into files you can send, upload or print on their own.
Which mode fits your document
Common split jobs, and the exact setting that handles each one.
| Situation | What you're splitting | Mode to use |
|---|---|---|
| Extract pages from a PDF | A few pages you need as their own file. | Page ranges, e.g. 3-5, 9, with "one PDF" on. |
| Monthly invoices | One export with a one-page invoice per client. | Every page. If each invoice is two pages, Fixed chunks with 2. |
| Scanned exam papers | A batch scan where every student's paper is four pages. | Fixed chunks with 4. |
| Textbook chapters | A full book that needs to become chapter files. | Page ranges, e.g. 1-24, 25-51, 52-. |
| Contract packet | Several agreements signed and scanned together. | Page ranges, one part per agreement. |
| Travel documents | Only the boarding passes from a long itinerary PDF. | Page ranges with "one PDF" on, e.g. 2, 5, 9. |
| Department reports | An annual report that each team should only see their part of. | Page ranges, then rename each file per team. |
| Printing both sides by hand | A document for a printer without automatic duplex. | Odd and even: print the odd file, flip the stack, print the even file. |
| Duplex scans with blank backs | A scan where every back side came out blank. | Odd and even, then keep only the odd file. |
Four modes, four kinds of document
What each mode produces, and how the files are named.
Page ranges
You decide exactly where each file starts and ends. Best when sections have uneven lengths.
1-3, 5, 8-10gives 3 files- Named like report_pages_1-3.pdf
Every page
Each page becomes its own file. Best when every page is a separate document.
- A 40-page PDF gives 40 files
- Numbers are padded: page_07, page_08
Fixed chunks
A new file every N pages. Best when every record in the scan has the same length.
- 100 pages with 5 gives 20 files
- 101 pages with 5 gives 21; the last has 1 page
Odd and even
Two files split by page number, each kept in original order.
- Manual two-sided printing
- Dropping blank backs from a scan
Page range syntax
How to write a page range
Exactly how the Page ranges field is read.
Commas separate files
1-3, 5, 8-10 creates three files: pages 1 to 3, page 5 alone, and pages 8 to 10. Spaces don't matter.
Open-ended ranges
8- means page 8 to the last page, so you don't need to know the page count. 1-24, 25- splits a document in two.
One file instead of many
With "Put all these pages in one PDF" on, 2, 5, 9 becomes a single three-page file. Pages are kept in the order you typed them.
Mistakes are named, not skipped
A reversed range like 10-5 or a page past the end is pointed out by name, and the split waits until you fix it. Nothing is silently dropped.
When the split doesn't come out right
Identify the problem, then use the matching fix.
The range field turns red
A part is reversed, past the last page, or not a page number. The message under the field names the exact part.
Correct that part, or use an open-ended range like 8- for "to the end".
Fixed chunks makes only one file
The pages-per-file number is equal to or larger than the page count.
Use a smaller number. The plan above the page map shows the file count before you split.
Download all saved only one file
Browsers block a site from starting several downloads until you allow it.
Accept the browser's "allow multiple downloads" prompt and click Download all again, or download files one by one.
A password-protected PDF won't open
Most encrypted PDFs can't be opened by the in-browser PDF libraries, so the file is rejected when you add it.
Remove the password with Unlock PDF, then add the unlocked copy.
The split files add up to more than the original
Fonts and images shared across pages are copied into every file that uses them.
Expected for many PDFs. Run large results through Compress PDF if size matters.
Previews appear slowly on long PDFs
Previews are drawn as you scroll to keep memory low. Heavy scans take longer per page.
You don't need to wait — the split works even if some previews haven't drawn yet.
Pages come out sideways
Each page keeps the rotation it had in the source PDF.
Rotate those pages in Organize PDF before or after splitting.
Split it right the first time
Small habits that save a second round of splitting.
Read the page map, not just the range
Scroll the previews and check the tags at each boundary. A chapter that starts one page later than you remembered shows up immediately.
End the last range with a dash
Writing 52- instead of 52-310 means the last file always runs to the end, even if you counted the pages wrong.
Extract scattered pages in one go
For pages 2, 5 and 9 in one document, type them and turn on "Put all these pages in one PDF" instead of splitting and merging back.
Check page order before manual duplex
Some printers stack output face up. If the backs come out reversed, run the even file through Reverse PDF before printing it.
Rename before you download
A name like invoice-client-a-march.pdf is easier to find later than report_pages_4-6.pdf, and the field is right next to each result.
Allow multiple downloads once
For results with many files, accept your browser's multiple-downloads prompt the first time so Download all can save every file.
Common questions about splitting PDFs
If something's not covered here, the troubleshooting section above likely has it.
Does this tool upload my PDF?
No. The PDF is processed in your browser: pdf.js draws the page previews and pdf-lib builds the new files. Your PDF is not uploaded to our server.
How do I extract pages 1, 5 and 8 into one PDF?
Choose Page ranges, type 1, 5, 8 and turn on "Put all these pages in one PDF". You get a single three-page file, with the pages in the order you typed them.
What does a range like 8- mean?
A range that ends with a dash runs to the last page. 8- means page 8 to the end of the document, so 1-7, 8- splits any PDF in two at page 8.
Will splitting change the quality of my pages?
No. The pages are copied into the new files as they are, without re-rendering or recompressing text or images. Each page also keeps its original size and rotation.
Why do the split files add up to more than the original?
Fonts and images that several pages share are stored once in the original, but every new file needs its own copy. That is normal; if size matters, compress the larger results afterward.
Can I download all the split files at once?
Yes. Download all saves the files one after another, not as a ZIP. The first time, your browser may ask you to allow this site to download multiple files.
Does it work with password-protected PDFs?
Usually not. Most encrypted PDFs can't be opened by the in-browser PDF libraries, so the tool tells you when you add one. Remove the password with an unlock tool first, then split the unlocked copy.
Build notes
The write-up on splitting PDFs in the browser
Because the splitting runs client-side, I wrote a tutorial on how browser-based PDF splitting works with JavaScript.
How to Split PDF Files Using JavaScript
A step-by-step tutorial on splitting PDF files client-side with JavaScript.