Split PDF

Custom ranges. Type the ranges you want, separated by commas, and each one becomes its own PDF. A range can be a single page or a run such as 12-20. This is the most flexible method and the default. Every N pages. Cut the document into equal parts of a fixed length. It suits files made of repeating units, for example a batch of scanned two-page forms or a stack of identical certificates.

Every page. Save each page as a separate PDF. Useful when every page is a document on its own, such as invoices printed into one file, or when pages go to different people. Extract pages. Pull out only the pages you list. Choose One PDF to combine them into a single new file, or One PDF per page for a file per page. The original is not changed.

Max size per file. Give a limit in MB and the document is divided into consecutive parts that each stay under it. A single page larger than the limit stays on its own, since a page cannot be split. By bookmarks. Use the top-level entries of the bookmark panel as cut points, so a manual or a thesis comes apart chapter by chapter. Files without bookmarks need one of the other methods.

Most people need one of two things: a few pages out of a larger document, or a long document cut into pieces. For the first, Extract pages is the direct route; for the second, the choice depends on what defines a piece. If you know the page numbers, use custom ranges. If the pieces are equal, every N pages saves typing. If the document already has a table of contents in its bookmarks, splitting by bookmarks does the work for you.

Page numbers here are the positions of the pages in the file, starting at 1 for the first page. They can differ from the numbers printed on the pages, which often skip the cover or count front matter in Roman numerals. Your PDF viewer usually shows both; use the position it gives in its page box, not the printed footer.

Ranges may overlap if you want the same page in two parts, for example a cover sheet or a signature page that every recipient should get. They do not have to follow the page order either: a list such as 8-10, 1-2 gives two files, the first holding pages 8 to 10 and the second the opening pages.

A quick check before splitting saves a second run. Open the PDF, note where each part should start and end, and write the ranges down in order. For a scanned stack of mixed papers, flick through the thumbnails in your viewer; the page where a new letter or form begins is usually easy to spot by its heading or logo.

Splitting works on the structure of the PDF, not on images of its pages. Every page is copied into its new file with its own content stream, fonts and pictures, so a split part is a normal PDF that looks exactly like the corresponding pages of the original. It does not get blurrier, and its text can still be searched and selected.

Some parts of a PDF belong to the whole document rather than to a page, and those need a decision. Bookmarks that point into a part are copied into it when Keep bookmarks is on. Fillable form fields stay fillable in the part that holds them when Keep form fields is on. Document information such as the author and title is copied to every part unless you turn on Remove metadata, which is a good idea when the parts go to people outside your organization.

Links need a short note. A link that jumps from one page to another keeps working when both pages end up in the same part. When the target page lands in a different file, the link has nowhere to go inside the new PDF, so check tables of contents and cross-references after splitting a long report. Links to websites are not affected and keep working in every part.

Signed documents are a special case. A digital signature covers the file as it was signed, so any part cut from it no longer matches that signature, and readers will show the signature as invalid or missing. Keep the full signed original as the record, and use split copies only for reading or sharing selected pages.

When a split produces many files, their names matter. Page range adds the pages to the original name, so you can see at a glance what each part covers. Part number gives a simple sequence that sorts correctly in any folder. Bookmark title uses the chapter names, which is the most readable choice when you split by bookmarks.

One ZIP file keeps everything together in a single download, which is easiest when there are dozens of parts. Separate files downloads each PDF on its own, which can be handier on a phone, where opening a ZIP takes an extra step. Either way, the parts are kept for 30 minutes and then deleted.

Several PDFs can be split in one batch, up to ten at a time. The same method and settings apply to each of them, which works well for a folder of similar files, such as monthly statements that should each lose their cover page. Every source file produces its own set of parts, named after it, so the results never mix.

Splitting often comes before another job. If a part is still too big to send, run it through Compress PDF. If pages came out in the wrong order or you want to join parts from several documents, the Merge PDF tool puts them back together in the order you choose. If some pages are sideways, Rotate PDF fixes them without touching the rest.

For email, the size method is usually the fastest way to share a large scan without lowering its quality. Each part arrives as an ordinary PDF that the recipient can open on its own, and the page order across parts follows the original. Mention in the message how many parts there are, so nothing goes missing.

Splitting is also a tidy way to share only what someone needs. Sending a landlord the two pages of a contract that mention the deposit, or a teacher the one chapter that is due, keeps the rest of the document private.