You only need one thing from this page: the unwanted pages gone, and a clean PDF on your computer. So here is the short version first, and the detail afterwards.
Delete a PDF page in 5 steps
- Open Delete PDF Pages and upload your file.
- Look through the page thumbnails.
- Click the pages you want to remove. They turn red and are struck through.
- Click Delete Pages & Download.
- Check the remaining pages and save your new PDF.
It is free, it works in your browser, and your original file is never changed — you always get a new one back.
Watch how it works
Prefer watching? The walkthrough below shows the whole job: uploading a PDF, marking the pages you do not want, deleting them, and downloading the cleaned file.
The written steps below cover exactly the same ground.
How to delete pages from a PDF, step by step
Step 1: Upload your PDF
Open the Delete PDF Pages tool. Drag your file onto the box, or click Choose PDF and pick it from your device. You can also pull it straight from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
A thumbnail is drawn for every page, right there in your browser. On a long document this takes a moment.
Tip: if the document matters, keep the original. You will get a new file either way, but a spare copy costs nothing.
Step 2: Find and mark the pages you do not want
Scan down the grid and look for the pages to remove: a cover sheet, a blank page from a scanner, a duplicate, an internal note.
Click a page to mark it. It turns red, gets a line through it and shows a Will be deleted badge, so there is no guessing about what is about to go. Click it again, or press Keep, to change your mind.
Four shortcuts save time on longer files:
- Shift+click marks everything between two pages, so a run like 5 to 9 takes two clicks.
- Odd pages or Even pages marks every other page in one go.
- Invert flips the marks. Mark the few pages you want to keep, press Invert, and everything else is marked instead.
- Pages to delete takes a typed list such as
2, 5, 7-9if you already know the numbers.
Step 3: Delete and download
The bar at the bottom keeps a running count: 2 pages will be removed • 6 pages will remain. Press Preview first if you want to see exactly which file you will get. When it looks right, press Delete Pages & Download.
Nothing is removed until that moment. Up to then you can use Undo, or Clear marks to start over.
The results screen tells you what happened — how many pages went, how many are left, and the new file size. You can rename the file before saving, preview it in a new tab, or send it straight to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
Before you delete: a 30-second checklist
- Check the page number on the thumbnail, not just the picture.
- Confirm the marked pages are the ones you meant.
- Keep a copy of the original if the document is important.
- Make sure a page does not carry something you need on its back or in its footer.
- Open the finished file before you send it to anyone.
How to delete multiple pages at once
All of these are one job, not one job per page:
| What you want | Fastest way |
|---|---|
| A single page | Click it. |
| Scattered pages, such as 4, 7 and 10 | Click each one in turn. |
| A run, such as 5 to 9 | Click page 5, then Shift+click page 9. |
| Every other page | Use Odd pages or Even pages. |
| Keep only pages 1 and 2 | Mark pages 1 and 2, then press Invert. |
| You already know the numbers | Type 2, 5, 7-9 in Pages to delete. |
You can also load several PDFs at once and set different pages for each. When a job produces more than one file, the results arrive together in a single ZIP.
One rule the tool will not let you break: a PDF must keep at least one page. If you mark every page in a file, the button stays disabled and says so, rather than failing after the upload.
How to delete blank pages from a PDF
Blank pages usually arrive by accident:
- Double-sided scanning, where the back of a single-sided sheet becomes an empty page.
- A document feeder picking up a separator sheet.
- Section breaks in Word that push an empty page into the export.
- A template that ends every chapter on a fresh sheet.
By hand: blank pages are obvious in the thumbnail grid. Click each one and delete as usual.
Automatically: if you have a long scan with blanks scattered through it, Remove Blank Pages finds and strips them for you, which beats hunting through 200 thumbnails.
Quick answer: to remove blank pages, either click them in the page grid and delete, or run the file through a blank-page remover that detects them automatically.
Can I delete PDF pages on my phone?
Yes. The tool runs in a mobile browser, so there is nothing to install on Android or on an iPhone or iPad. The steps are the same:
- Open Delete PDF Pages in Chrome, Safari or your usual browser.
- Tap the upload box and pick the PDF from your files, or from a cloud drive.
- Tap the pages you want to remove.
- Tap Delete Pages & Download and save the file.
The page grid drops to two columns on a narrow screen, so thumbnails stay big enough to recognise. This is handy right after a phone scan, when the stray pages are still fresh in your mind.
Other ways to remove pages from a PDF
An online tool
Best for a quick fix, on any device, with nothing installed. Good when you do the job occasionally and the document is ordinary business or study paperwork.
Adobe Acrobat
Acrobat includes page organising, so you can delete pages and save the file directly on your computer. Note the difference between products: the free Acrobat Reader is mainly a viewer and does not offer the same page editing. Menus also vary between versions, so the exact path differs.
Google Drive and Google Docs
Opening a PDF with Google Docs converts it rather than editing it. Layout, fonts and images are rebuilt, and complex documents often come out looking wrong. It is a reasonable route only for simple, text-only files you were going to edit anyway.
Print to PDF
A workaround that needs no extra software at all. Open the PDF, choose Print, select Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF) as the printer, and enter only the page range you want to keep, such as 1-4, 6-20.
Worth understanding what this actually does: it creates a new PDF from the pages you selected rather than editing the original. That is fine for a plain document, but the re-print can drop bookmarks, links, form fields and text selectability depending on the viewer you print from.
Does deleting pages reduce PDF quality?
Removing whole pages does not, in itself, change how the remaining pages look. Those pages are copied across as they are, so text stays selectable and searchable and images keep their resolution.
What can change quality is the method. Anything that converts or re-exports the document — a Google Docs round trip, or a print-to-PDF — rebuilds the file, and the result may differ from the original. If quality matters, use a tool that removes pages without re-rendering the rest.
Does removing pages make the file smaller?
Usually, yes, and the saving is largest when the pages you drop contain scans, photographs or other big embedded resources. Dropping three text-only pages from a 200-page report will barely register.
How much smaller depends on how the PDF stores its resources; a font or an image shared with other pages stays in the file. If you specifically need a smaller file, Compress PDF is the tool for that job.
What happens to bookmarks and links?
A bookmark or an internal link that pointed at a deleted page has nowhere left to go. The Delete PDF Pages tool has a Preserve bookmarks switch in the options panel: leave it on to keep the outline, or turn it off if you would rather drop an outline that now points at pages that no longer exist. Links to outside websites are not affected either way.
Is it safe to delete PDF pages online?
It is a fair question, because the file leaves your computer. People remove pages from contracts, invoices, bank statements, ID documents and academic records, so it is worth a moment of thought.
What to check with any online PDF service:
- The connection is HTTPS — your browser shows a padlock.
- The service says plainly what happens to your upload and when it is removed.
- You are not asked to create an account just to edit a file.
On PDFCherry, files are processed on the server and then removed automatically, and the results screen shows a countdown so you can see how long your download link stays valid. Once it expires the link stops working. The details are in our Privacy Policy, which is the thing to read before uploading anything sensitive.
As a general habit: for everyday paperwork, an online tool is a sensible choice. For material under a strict client, legal or regulatory obligation, check that the handling described in the privacy policy fits the rules you work under.
What if my PDF is password protected?
Some PDFs are locked in ways that block editing. If you have the password or permission to change the document, remove the protection first with Unlock PDF, then delete the pages from the unlocked copy.
If it is not your document and you do not have permission to change it, ask whoever owns it. Editing restrictions exist for a reason.
Page deletion not working? Try these fixes
The PDF will not upload
Check that it really is a PDF and that it is inside the size limit shown on the tool page. Very large scans may need Compress PDF first. A file that will not open anywhere may be damaged — try Repair PDF.
I deleted the wrong page
Before you download, Undo steps back and Clear marks resets everything. After you download, the new file is a separate copy, so just run the original through again. This is exactly why keeping the original matters.
The downloaded PDF looks different
Different viewers render PDFs differently, especially with unusual fonts. Open the file in a second viewer before concluding something went wrong, and confirm you are looking at the new file rather than the original.
More pages went than I expected
Check the running count in the bottom bar before pressing the button, and use Preview to see the exact result. An Invert or a Shift+click can take a wider range than intended.
The download does not start
Refresh and try again, check that your browser is not blocking the download, or try a different browser. If the expiry countdown has run out, the file has been deleted and you will need to run the job again.
Delete, extract, or split?
Three neighbouring jobs that are easy to confuse:
- Delete PDF Pages removes a few pages and keeps the rest. Best when you want most of the document.
- Extract PDF Pages keeps the few you choose and drops the rest. Best when you want a small part of a big file.
- Split PDF cuts one file into several. Best when every section needs to be its own document.
Once the pages are right, Reorder PDF Pages puts what is left in the correct order, Rotate PDF fixes a sideways scan, and Merge PDF joins the result to another file.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete a page from a PDF for free?
Yes. Delete PDF Pages is free to use, with no account and no watermark on the file you download. Upload the PDF, click the pages you do not want, and download the cleaned version.
How do I delete pages from a PDF online?
Upload the file to a page removal tool, look through the page thumbnails, click the pages you want gone, then download the new PDF. The whole job usually takes under a minute, and nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I delete multiple PDF pages at once?
Yes. Click each unwanted page, or Shift+click to take a whole run such as pages 5 to 9. There are also one-click options for odd pages, even pages, and inverting your selection, plus a box for typing a list like 2, 5, 7-9.
Can I remove a blank page from a PDF?
Yes. Blank pages stand out in the thumbnail grid, so you can click and delete them like any other page. For a long scan with blanks scattered through it, Remove Blank Pages detects and strips them automatically.
Can I delete PDF pages on my phone?
Yes. The tool runs in a mobile browser on Android, iPhone and iPad, with no app to install. The page grid drops to two columns on a narrow screen so the thumbnails stay readable.
Does deleting a page reduce PDF quality?
Removing pages does not by itself change the remaining pages, which are copied across as they are. Quality can change when a method converts or re-exports the whole document, such as a Google Docs round trip or a print-to-PDF.
Can I delete pages from a password-protected PDF?
Not while the protection is in place, since it may block editing. If you have the password or permission to change the file, remove the protection first with Unlock PDF and then delete pages from the unlocked copy.
Does removing pages reduce PDF file size?
Often, especially when the pages you remove contain scans or photographs. The saving depends on how the PDF stores its resources, so it is not a fixed amount. If a smaller file is the goal, use Compress PDF.
Can I recover a page after deleting it?
Before you download, yes: use Undo, or Clear marks to reset everything. Afterwards, the cleaned file is a new copy and your original is untouched, so you can simply run the original through again.
Is it safe to upload a PDF online?
Check that the connection is HTTPS and that the service explains what happens to your upload. On PDFCherry, files are removed automatically and the results screen shows how long your link stays valid; see the Privacy Policy before uploading anything sensitive.
Why can I not delete pages in Adobe Reader?
Adobe Acrobat Reader is mainly a viewer, so it does not include the page organising features needed to remove pages and save the change. That belongs to the paid Acrobat products, or you can use an online tool instead.
Can I delete pages without installing software?
Yes. A browser-based tool needs no installation, licence or admin rights, which matters on a locked-down work laptop. Your operating system Print to PDF feature is another no-install option, though it rebuilds the file rather than editing it.
Getting rid of those pages
Three routes, depending on what you have. An online tool is quickest for most people: no installation, works on any device, and the file you download keeps the pages you kept exactly as they were. Acrobat makes sense if you already pay for it. Print to PDF is the no-install fallback, as long as you accept that it builds a new file from the pages you selected.
Whichever you pick, the habits are the same: check the page numbers, keep the original, and open the finished document before you send it on.
Ready to clean up your document?
Upload your file, click the pages you do not want, and download the result. You can delete a page from a PDF free, with no sign-up and nothing to install.
Delete pages from a PDF