Online Split PDF — Separate & Extract Pages (Free & Secure)
Split a PDF file online in seconds, with nothing to install. Separate PDF pages, extract a chapter or an invoice, pick pages visually, or split every N pages, by bookmarks, by blank pages or by file size.
Drop your PDF file here
Drag & drop or choose a file from your device
One PDF at a time • up to 50 MB
Encrypted transfer • Files deleted automatically, normally within 60 minutes
- 1 Add your PDF
- 2 Choose pages
- 3 Split & download
Uploading…
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- Sent over an encrypted HTTPS connection
- Deleted automatically, normally within 60 minutes
- No registration needed · Privacy Policy
Split PDF
Extract specific pages or split into multiple files with flexible options.
- 1 Add File
- 2 Select Pages
- 3 Split Mode
- 4 Options
- 5 Split
- 6 Download/Share
Choose Split Mode
Range builder
Selected pages
Tick the pages you want in the grid below.
Every page becomes its own file
Nothing more to set. Pages you delete below are left out.
Split every
Split after pages
Each number ends a file. The rest of the document becomes the last file.
Maximum output size
Pages are grouped so each file stays under this where technically possible. A single page larger than the limit can't be made smaller by splitting.
Bookmarks found
Blank separators
We check every page for content. This takes a moment on long documents.
More options
Splitting your PDF…
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Preparing pages…
Your files are ready
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What would you like to do next?
Turn one PDF into several, eight different ways.
Getting started
- Upload your PDF, or drag it onto the box.
- Select pages in the grid, or skip straight to a split mode.
- Choose how to split, check the summary, then press Split PDF.
Split modes explained
- Individual pages
- One PDF for every page.
- Custom page ranges
- Each range you list becomes its own PDF.
- Extract selected pages
- Everything you picked goes into a single PDF.
- Split every N pages
- Equal groups, for long reports and scans.
- Split at specific pages
- You name where the cuts fall.
- Split by file size
- Keeps each file under a limit, where that is possible.
- Split by bookmarks
- One PDF per chapter, named after the bookmark.
- Split at blank pages
- Blank pages act as separators between documents.
Keyboard shortcuts
- ← → move between pages
- Space select or deselect the focused page
- Shift + click select everything in between
- Ctrl/Cmd + click add one page to the selection
- A select all · C clear · I invert
- Enter split · Esc close a dialog
Tips & tricks
- Not sure which mode fits? Individual pages is the safest choice if you plan to reorder or re-merge later.
- Split by bookmarks names every output file after its chapter automatically — handy for long reports.
- Use Split at specific pages to mark just the cut points instead of typing every range by hand.
- Split by file size keeps each part under a limit, useful for email attachment caps.
Did you know? Switching to another tool in the sidebar carries your file over automatically — no need to re-upload.
How to Split a PDF into Separate Files
Still stuck? Read the questions below or contact support and we'll help.
What Is This Tool?
Split PDF breaks one PDF into several smaller files. Pull every page out as its own document, or define custom page ranges — like separating a scanned book into chapters, or pulling an invoice out of a larger statement — and download the results as a single ZIP.
Everything runs on our servers over a secure connection; your files are processed, made available for download, and then automatically deleted a short time later.
Why Use an Online PDF Splitting Tool?
Desktop PDF software is expensive, heavy, and has to be installed before it can help you. An online PDF file split takes a few seconds in the browser you already have open.
- Nothing to install. No download, no licence key, no admin rights on a work laptop.
- Works everywhere. Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS — anything with a modern browser.
- Fast. Upload, choose a split mode, download. Most files are done in seconds.
- Free, with no sign-up. No account, no watermark on your pages.
- Built for large files. Split a large PDF into parts that actually fit an email or an upload form.
Need the opposite job? Merge PDF joins files back together, and Compress PDF makes a heavy file smaller without splitting it.
Why Split a PDF File?
A single large PDF isn't always convenient — sometimes you only need one chapter, one invoice, or one form out of a much bigger document. Splitting lets you pull exactly the pages you need without editing the original.
Benefits of Splitting PDFs
- Share only the relevant pages
- Break large documents into manageable files
- Keep the original document untouched
- No desktop software needed
Who Can Use a PDF Splitter?
- Students extracting a chapter from a textbook
- Accountants pulling one invoice from a statement
- Businesses distributing individual sections of a report
- Legal teams separating exhibits from a filing
- Researchers isolating specific pages for citation
A Few Real-World Examples
- An accountant extracts a single invoice from a 100-page bank statement to send to a client, without sharing all their financial data.
- A student isolates one chapter from a large textbook PDF for focused study.
- A paralegal splits exhibits out of a 200-page court filing so each one can be labeled and filed separately.
- A manager splits a company-wide report into per-department sections before distributing it.
- A researcher pulls the pages they need to cite out of a long paper instead of sharing the entire document.
Step-by-Step Guide
Upload the PDF you want to split.
Choose "Individual Pages" or "Custom Ranges".
Click "Split PDF".
Download a ZIP of your split files.
Using "Individual Pages" mode
Select "Individual Pages" and every page in your PDF becomes its own separate file — no extra input needed. This is the fastest option when you want each page split out on its own.
Using "Custom Ranges" mode
Select "Custom Ranges" and type the pages you want in the "Page Ranges" field. Use commas to separate single pages or ranges, and a hyphen for a range of pages — for example, 1,3-5,7 produces one file with page 1, one file with pages 3 through 5, and one file with page 7.
What you'll get
Once processing finishes, you'll download a single ZIP file containing every split PDF, named automatically (or using the custom name you set in "File Naming").
Comparison: Split Modes
| Individual Pages | Custom Ranges | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Splitting every page into its own file | Pulling out specific pages or sections |
| Setup needed | None — works instantly | Type page numbers/ranges first |
| Output | One PDF per page | One PDF per range you define |
| Example use | Turning a scanned book into single-page files | Pulling an invoice or a chapter out of a bigger PDF |
Features
- Free
- Easy to use
- No registration
- Split by page or custom range
- Secure processing — files are deleted automatically
Supported Formats
Best Practices
- Check your page count before entering custom ranges
- Name your output files clearly using the "File Naming" field before downloading
- Double-check comma-separated ranges (e.g. 1-3,5,7-9) before splitting
- Unzip the downloaded file right away so you don't lose track of it after auto-deletion
Troubleshooting
Problem: My custom range didn't work as expected
Solution: Double-check your range format (e.g. 1-3,5) and make sure every page number actually exists in the document. Ranges are 1-indexed and inclusive — "1-3" means pages 1, 2, and 3.
Problem: The file won't upload
Solution: Ensure your file is under 50MB and is a valid PDF. Password-protected files may need to be unlocked first with our Unlock PDF tool — or try a different browser if the upload keeps failing.
Problem: I can't find my downloaded ZIP file
Solution: Check your browser's default downloads folder. If the link has expired, simply upload the file again and re-run the split — outputs aren't kept indefinitely.
Split PDF FAQ
Is splitting PDFs really free?
Yes. Split PDF is completely free, with no sign-up, watermark, or hidden limits beyond the file size shown above.
Can I split a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. This is an online PDF splitting tool, so it runs in your browser with no Acrobat licence and nothing to install. Upload the file, choose a split mode, and download the result.
How do I split a PDF into multiple files?
Use Individual pages to turn every page into its own file, or Custom ranges to decide where each file starts and ends. Either way the results arrive together in one ZIP.
Can I split a PDF into individual pages?
Yes. Choose Individual pages and every page becomes its own PDF — a 100-page file gives you 100 files, delivered as one ZIP.
Can I extract only certain pages?
Yes, in two ways. Custom page ranges takes something like 1-3,5,8-10 and makes one PDF per range. Extract selected pages lets you click pages in the thumbnail grid and puts them all into a single PDF.
Can I split a PDF every 5 or 10 pages?
Yes. Pick Split every N pages and set the number, or use the one-click presets for 1, 2, 5 and 10 pages. A 50-page file split every 10 pages gives you five PDFs.
Can I split a PDF using bookmarks?
Yes, if the PDF has them. Split by bookmarks reads the top-level outline and creates one PDF per chapter, named after the bookmark. The detected bookmarks are listed before you split. If the PDF has no bookmarks the option is disabled, because there is nothing to split on.
Can I split a PDF at blank pages?
Yes. Split at blank pages finds pages with no visible content and treats them as separators — useful for a batch of scanned documents. You choose whether the blank pages are removed or kept.
Can I split a PDF by file size?
Yes. Set a maximum size and pages are grouped so each output stays under it where that is possible. A single page that is already larger than the limit cannot be made smaller by splitting, and we tell you when that happens.
Can I reorder pages before splitting?
Yes. Select pages and use the order controls to move them left, right, to the start or to the end, reverse them, or sort them back into 1→N order. The order you arrange is used when you extract selected pages.
Can I rotate pages before splitting?
Yes. Select one or more pages and rotate them left, right or 180°. The rotation is written into the split files.
Can I select pages visually?
Yes. Every page is shown as a thumbnail. Click to select one, Ctrl (or Cmd) + click to add more, and Shift + click to take everything between two pages. There are also one-click buttons for all, odd, even, first, last, first 10 and last 10.
Can I find the pages that mention a word?
Yes, for PDFs that contain real text. Type a word into the page search and we list the pages it appears on, with a button to select them. Scanned PDFs that are only images have no searchable text, so nothing will be found.
Can I download all the split PDFs as a ZIP?
Yes. Every result screen offers Download all as ZIP, and each file separately with its own Preview and Download buttons.
Can I split a password-protected PDF?
Not directly. A PDF that needs a password to open cannot be read, so remove the password first with Unlock PDF, then split the unlocked copy.
Will splitting reduce PDF quality?
No. Pages are copied into the new files exactly as they are — nothing is re-encoded, so text stays selectable and images keep their original resolution. Only an explicit rotation changes a page.
Can I name the output files myself?
Yes — the optional "File Naming" field lets you set a custom base name; otherwise files are named page-01.pdf, page-02.pdf (or range-01.pdf for custom ranges).
Will my files be kept after splitting?
No. Both your uploaded file and the resulting ZIP are automatically deleted from our servers a short time after processing.
Does this work on mobile?
Yes, Split PDF works in any modern mobile or desktop browser — no app required.
Is there a limit on how many pages I can split?
No fixed page-count limit — the only constraint is the overall file size limit shown on the upload box.
What is the maximum file size?
You can upload a PDF up to 50 MB. There's no separate limit on the number of pages within that size.
Can I split a password-protected PDF?
Not directly — remove the password first using our Unlock PDF tool, then split the unlocked copy.
Will the quality be reduced?
No. Splitting copies the original pages exactly as they are, without re-encoding text or images, so quality is fully preserved.
Is registration required?
No. You can split PDFs without creating an account or providing any personal details.
Privacy & Security
Your files are handled securely
All uploads are transferred over an encrypted SSL/TLS connection and processed in an isolated job folder. No one at PDFCherry views, shares, or uses the content of your documents for anything other than completing the split you requested.
- Uploaded files are automatically deleted within 30 minutes.
- The split ZIP is automatically deleted within 1 hour after completion.
- Your original file is never modified — splitting always produces new output files; the PDF you uploaded is read, not altered.
Read our full Privacy Policy or Contact Us if you have any questions about how your files are handled.
Why Trust PDFCherry?
PDFCherry is built and maintained by a small, dedicated team and runs on established, industry-standard PDF libraries — not an anonymous "free tool" that resells your files or data. The privacy practices above apply across the whole site. More about PDFCherry.
Having issues or need help? Contact Us — we're here to help.
Ready to Split Your PDF?
It's free, secure, and takes just a few seconds. Upload your file and extract the pages you need now.
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