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Split PDF
Pull the pages you name — like 1-3,5 — out of a PDF into a new file, all in your browser.
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Quick Answer
Split PDF pulls the pages you specify out of a PDF and saves them as a new file, in your browser with pdf-lib. Type a range — say 1-3,5 — and it copies exactly those pages into a fresh PDF and downloads it. The original is untouched and nothing is uploaded. One thing to know: it outputs a single new PDF of the pages you chose, not a separate file for every page.
What the Split PDF Does
A PDF often holds more than you need to send — a 40-page manual when someone only wants the install steps, a statement where one page has the figure, a scanned packet with three relevant sheets. Split PDF lets you name the pages you want and walk away with just those, as a new document.
It reads your page numbers as a range: single pages, spans, or a mix like 1-3,5. Those pages are copied into a new PDF whole, so text stays selectable and nothing is re-rendered. Despite the name, the tool extracts a set of pages into one file — it does not burst a PDF into many one-page files.
How It Works
When you add a file, pdf-lib opens it and reports its page count so you can see the valid range. pdf-lib is an open-source JavaScript library that reads and writes PDFs directly in the browser — no server, no Acrobat.
You type the pages you want. The tool parses the range, drops anything out of bounds, and copies the matching pages into a new document, then writes it out as a single PDF for download.
Processing pipeline
- Step 1. Add a PDF. pdf-lib reads it locally and shows how many pages it has.
- Step 2. Enter the pages to keep — single numbers, spans, or a mix like 1-3,5.
- Step 3. The range is parsed and clamped to valid pages; duplicates and out-of-range numbers are dropped.
- Step 4. pdf-lib copies those pages into a new PDF, in the order you listed them.
- Step 5. The new file downloads as split-pdf.pdf; your original is left untouched.
Privacy
The PDF stays on your device. It is read, the chosen pages are copied, and the new file is generated locally — no upload, and no copy kept anywhere.
Nothing is stored and there is no account. Refresh or close the tab and both the source and the extract are cleared from memory — fine for statements, contracts, and other private documents.
Technical Details
| Engine | pdf-lib (open-source, JavaScript) |
|---|---|
| Input | One PDF + a page range |
| Range syntax | Singles and spans, e.g. 1-3,5 |
| Output | One new PDF of the chosen pages |
| Quality | Lossless — pages copied, not re-rendered |
| Upload | Never — runs in your browser |
Standards & references
- ISO 32000 (PDF) — the PDF specification. Each page is an object in the document's page tree, which is what lets a page be copied into a new file intact.
- pdf-lib — the open-source JavaScript library that reads the page count, copies the selected pages, and writes the new document.
Accuracy & Limitations
Extraction is lossless: the pages you pull keep their text, fonts, and image resolution because they are copied, not reprinted. The new file's size tracks the pages you kept.
The range is one-based and clamped to the document — ask for page 50 of a 12-page file and that number is simply ignored rather than throwing an error, so a small typo will not break the export.
Pages come out in the order you list them across commas, with duplicates removed, so entering 5,1-3 really does put page 5 first; within a span like 1-3 the pages stay in ascending order.
Because it produces one combined PDF of the pages you picked, it is not a tool for exploding a document into separate one-page files. For that, run it once per page or per range. And since the work happens in memory, very large PDFs lean on your device — though pulling a few pages is light even from a big file.
Real-World Use Cases
Send just the relevant pages
Share pages 4-6 of a long manual or report instead of forwarding the whole thing.
One page off a statement
Pull the single page with the number or transaction someone asked for.
Trim a scan
Drop the blank or cover pages from a scanned packet by extracting only the ones that matter.
Reorder on the way out
List pages as 3,1,2 to copy them into a new order — handy when a scan came out shuffled.
When to use it — and when not to
Good for
- Taking specific pages or a range from a PDF
- Producing one trimmed PDF to send
- Reordering a handful of pages by listing them
- Keeping text and quality intact
Not the best choice for
- Exploding a file into one PDF per page
- Joining several PDFs together
- Keeping most of a file and dropping a few pages
- Editing the content of a page
To combine files, use Merge PDF; to remove a few pages and keep the rest, use Delete PDF Pages; to turn pages into images, use PDF to JPG.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enter the pages I want?
Type page numbers separated by commas, and use a hyphen for a span — for example 1-3,5 gives you pages 1, 2, 3 and 5. The tool shows the file's page count so you know the valid range.
Does it split a PDF into separate one-page files?
No — despite the name, it copies the pages you name into one new PDF. To get individual files, run it once per page (enter 1, then 2, and so on) or once per range.
Is the extracted PDF lower quality?
No. The pages are copied whole, not re-rendered, so text stays selectable and images keep their resolution. Extraction is lossless.
What happens if I enter a page that does not exist?
It is ignored. Ask for page 20 of a 10-page document and that number is skipped rather than causing an error, so a small typo will not break the export.
Can I change the page order?
Yes, across comma-separated parts. Listing 3,1,2 copies the pages in that order. Within a span like 1-3 the pages stay in ascending order.
Are my files uploaded?
No. pdf-lib opens and trims the PDF inside your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere, and closing the tab clears it from memory.
Does it change my original PDF?
No. It writes a new file (split-pdf.pdf) with the pages you chose and leaves the source document untouched.
Can it extract from a password-protected PDF?
Not while it is locked. The page data has to be readable, so remove the password first, then extract from the unlocked copy.
Is there a limit on file size or page count?
No fixed limit. Since the work happens in your browser's memory, very large files depend on your device, but pulling a few pages is light even from a big PDF.
Why extract pages instead of deleting them?
Use extract when you want a few pages out of many; use Delete PDF Pages when you want to keep most of the document and drop just a few.
References
Written from how the extractor actually reads your page range — reordering, duplicates, and out-of-range typos included.
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Ready to try the Split PDF?
It is free, private and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, no uploads, no limits.