Split a PDF into several files
Choose where to cut, preview every resulting file, and download them as separate PDFs or one ZIP.
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What it does
Split PDF, explained
Splitting cuts one PDF into several smaller PDFs. Enter page ranges such as 1-3, 4-10, 11- and you get three files; choose “every 5 pages” for a scanned stack of five-page forms; or choose “each page” to get one file per page.
Read more
The result of a split is always more than one file, and together they cover the pages you chose. That is the difference from Extract pages, which copies a selection into a single new PDF, and from Remove pages, which deletes pages and gives you back one shorter file.
A typical use is breaking a large scan into per-person or per-invoice files, or getting under an upload limit on a portal that rejects big files. Before you download, PDFBetter lists every output with its page numbers and a thumbnail of the first page, so a mistyped range is obvious.
Everything happens in your browser. The file is not uploaded, and the split files download free without an account.
How to do it
Split a PDF into several files in 4 steps
1One long PDF
2Choose where to cut
3Separate files
- 1
Upload one PDF
Choose the file to split. Files that need a password to open must be unlocked first.
- 2
Pick a split mode
Custom ranges (for example 1-3, 4-10, 11-), every N pages, or one file per page.
- 3
Review the outputs
Each resulting file is listed with its page range, page count and first-page thumbnail. Rename files if you like.
- 4
Download
Download files one by one or all together as a ZIP.
Example
Before and after
A 30-page scanned batch of ten 3-page employee onboarding packets.
Ten 3-page PDFs from “Every 3 pages”, named onboarding_p1-3.pdf through onboarding_p28-30.pdf, delivered in one ZIP.
Settings & formats
What you can control
- Custom ranges
- Comma-separated ranges, one output per range. An open range like “11-” runs to the last page. Ranges may overlap if you need the same page in two files.
- Every N pages
- Fixed-size chunks. A 23-page file split every 5 pages gives four 5-page files and one 3-page file.
- Each page
- One single-page PDF per page, named with the page number.
- File names
- Outputs are named after the original with the page range appended, for example report_p1-3.pdf.
Input
Output
Good to know before you start
- Splitting does not reduce image quality, so a split part of a large scan can still be large. Use Compress PDF on parts that must meet a size limit.
- Bookmarks and links that point to pages in another part stop working, because those pages are now in a different file.
- Split mode cannot detect document boundaries by content (for example a new invoice number); you choose the ranges.
If something goes wrong
If something goes wrong
- I got one file instead of several
- A single range like “1-30” produces one file. Separate ranges with commas, or choose “Every N pages”.
- The ZIP will not open on my phone
- Some mobile browsers save ZIPs without an unzip option. Download the files one by one, or open the ZIP from your phone's Files app.
Split PDF: questions people ask
What is the difference between split and extract?
Split always produces several files that cover your ranges. Extract copies just the pages you select into one new PDF. If you want one file with pages 4, 9 and 12, use Extract pages.
Can I split a large PDF to get under an email size limit?
Yes, but pages are split, not compressed. Splitting a 40 MB scan in half gives two files of roughly 20 MB each; run Compress PDF on them if they are still too big.
Can I split odd and even pages?
Ranges also accept “odd” and “even”, so you can split a duplex scan into front sides and back sides as two files.
Do fillable fields survive a split?
Fields stay fillable in the part that contains their page. A field that appears on pages in two different parts is copied into both.
Is the original file changed?
No. Splitting works on a copy in your browser; your original file is untouched.