This free split PDF tool extracts a range of pages from any PDF file and saves them as a separate document, instantly in your browser. Choose your file, enter the first and last page numbers you want to keep, and click Split. The extracted pages download as a new PDF to your device. Nothing is uploaded to any server — every step runs locally in your browser, keeping your files completely private. There is no signup, no watermark, and no cost.
How to Use the PDF Splitter
- Click Choose File and open the PDF you want to split.
- Enter the From Page and To Page numbers that define the range you want to extract.
- Click Split PDF and wait while the tool extracts the pages.
- Click the download button to save the new PDF containing only those pages.
How It Works
The splitter runs on pdf-lib, a JavaScript library that operates entirely within your web browser. When you click Split, the tool loads the full PDF into browser memory, reads the page indices you specified, copies those pages in order into a fresh PDF document, and triggers a download of that new file. The source PDF is never transmitted over the network — the browser reads it directly from your local disk. This means the tool works offline once the page has loaded, and documents that contain sensitive, confidential, or personal information never leave your machine.
Why Split a PDF?
Large PDF documents often contain more than a recipient needs, and sending the entire file wastes bandwidth and may share pages that were not intended for that audience. Splitting lets you carve out exactly the pages that matter. A common scenario is extracting one chapter from a lengthy report to share with a colleague who only needs that section. Another is isolating an invoice or receipt from a multi-statement bank PDF to attach to an expense claim. Students frequently extract lecture slides covering a single topic from a large course pack. Lawyers and administrators split contracts to share individual schedules without exposing the whole agreement. By choosing a precise page range, you create a lean, purpose-built document rather than forwarding an oversized file.
Finding the Right Page Numbers
The page numbers you enter refer to the PDF’s actual page sequence, starting at 1, not any printed numbers on the pages themselves. A book-style PDF might have a printed page number of 47 on what is actually page 52 of the file if there are front matter pages. To confirm the correct page range, open the PDF in any reader and note the page indicator in the viewer (usually shown in the toolbar as “page 5 of 120”) rather than the printed number in the document. Enter those viewer numbers into the From and To fields and the extractor will capture exactly the pages you see on screen.
Split PDF vs. Other Methods
Adobe Acrobat Pro can split PDFs, but it requires a paid subscription and installation. Preview on macOS can drag pages out, but the workflow is fiddly for non-adjacent ranges. Cloud tools upload your file to a remote server before processing, which is a privacy risk for sensitive documents such as medical records, legal papers, or financial statements. This tool processes everything inside your own browser tab using the original page data, so quality is preserved, no software install is needed, and nothing is ever sent anywhere. For anyone who needs to extract pages from a PDF occasionally or routinely, this is the fastest, safest approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extract non-consecutive pages?
This tool extracts a continuous range from page X to page Y. To extract non-adjacent pages, run the tool multiple times for each range and then use the Merge PDF tool to combine the results in the order you need.
Does splitting the PDF reduce its quality?
No. The tool copies the original page data directly — images, fonts, and vector graphics are preserved exactly as they appear in the source document.
Is my PDF file kept private?
Yes — all processing happens in your browser using pdf-lib. The file is never uploaded to a server, so it remains entirely on your device.