How to split PDF pages with custom ranges
Custom ranges let you decide what goes into each new file. Every range you enter becomes its own PDF.
- One range: pages 1 to 3 gives you a single PDF with those three pages.
- Single pages: 5 on its own gives a PDF that holds only page 5.
- Several ranges: 1 to 3, 5 and 8 to 10 gives three separate PDFs, delivered in a ZIP.
In the range box, put a dash between the first and last page of a range and separate ranges with commas. Page numbers follow the order of pages in the file, which is not always the number printed on the page.
Everyday reasons to split a PDF
Splitting is often the fastest way to share less. You keep the full document for yourself and send only the part that matters.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A landlord asks for one payslip page | Extract that single page |
| A scanner joined 20 forms into one file | Save every page as its own PDF |
| An upload form rejects a big file | Split it into parts that fit the limit |
| You want one chapter of a manual | Enter that chapter as a range |
Splitting by size is a manual job: try a few ranges until each part fits under the limit of the form.
Splitting, deleting or merging?
Splitting never changes your original file. You can run it again with different ranges as often as you like, which is handy when you are not sure yet which pages a form wants.
If you want to keep one file and just drop a few pages, Delete PDF Pages is quicker, because you click thumbnails instead of typing numbers. To put parts back together in a new order, use Merge PDF. Still too large after splitting? Compress PDF shrinks the images inside.
