One file per page, or custom ranges — free, in the browser, no signup.
1-3, 5, 8-10), then download the ZIP and unzip it. Your file is uploaded over HTTPS for that request and discarded afterward.A PDF often holds more than the other person needs: a 40-page pack when a referee only wants pages 2–5, a scanned multipage form where each sheet should be its own upload, or a bank statement where one month must leave your inbox without the rest. Splitting creates smaller PDFs that keep the original page content — text stays selectable, images stay sharp — instead of printing pages to images or retyping them.
Splitting is the opposite of merging. If your real problem is “this file is too big for the portal,” try Compress PDF first, or split out only the pages you must send so the upload stays under the limit.
One file per page. Leave the ranges field empty. Every page becomes its own PDF inside a ZIP, named like report_page_3.pdf. Use this for receipts, contract initials, or any workflow that expects one sheet per file.
Custom ranges. Type comma-separated pages and spans, for example 1-5, 8, 11-13. Each entry becomes one PDF (report_part_1.pdf, and so on). Ranges are inclusive on both ends: 5-9 is five pages, not four. Page numbers count from the first sheet of the file (cover included), which may differ from the number printed on the page.
The tool needs at least two pages. A one-page PDF has nothing to split and returns a clear error instead of an empty download. Ranges that run backwards, skip past the last page, or use junk characters also get an error message — they no longer fail silently with an empty ZIP.
1-3, 5, 8-10. You can use a normal hyphen or an en dash.Most “wrong page” splits happen because the number printed on the sheet is not the same as the file’s physical page index. Front matter, covers, and scanned packets shift the count. When it matters, open the PDF once, note the position of the page you want (1st sheet, 2nd sheet), and type that number — not the footer number.
For even-sized chunks (every 10 pages for a portal that caps pages per upload), there is no automatic “every N pages” mode. Type the chunks yourself: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30.
Pages are copied from your file as page objects, not re-rendered as pictures. Fonts, vector graphics, and embedded images travel with the page. That is why a split section stays as crisp as the original and why text usually remains selectable. Splitting does not unlock a password-protected PDF; unlock first if your file is encrypted, then split the unlocked copy.
Splitting also does not compress. A 20 MB scan split into twenty 1 MB pages still totals about the same data. If email size is the goal, extract the pages you need, then run Compress PDF on the smaller file.
If the PDF asks for a password when you open it, Split PDF cannot read the pages until it is unlocked. Unlock the file with a tool that knows the password, save an unlocked copy, then split that copy. Do not paste passwords into random websites; only unlock files you are allowed to open.
Scanned packets are still valid PDFs: each sheet is usually a full-page image. Splitting still works page-by-page, but the “parts” will not magically gain selectable text. If you need editable wording later, that is a different job (PDF to Word or OCR), not a split.
We are not claiming desktop-app speed on a 500 MB scan, batch processing of dozens of PDFs in one click, or that splitting replaces compression. We are claiming a free, no-signup splitter that returns a ZIP of real PDF page copies, with clear errors for bad ranges, and uploads discarded after the request — verified against the live Split PDF tool on this site.
This is a server-side PDF tool, not a browser-only one. Your file is uploaded over HTTPS, split for that request, and discarded. There is no signup and no copy kept for later. Prefer not to upload highly sensitive originals when a local app is available; for everyday forms and packets, the short-lived upload is the trade-off for not installing software.
Can I split into individual pages? Yes. Leave the ranges box empty. You get one PDF per page inside a ZIP.
How do custom ranges work? Commas separate outputs; hyphens make inclusive spans. Example: 1-3, 5, 7-10 creates three PDFs.
Why is the download always a ZIP? The splitter always packages results as a ZIP so one-per-page and multi-range jobs use the same download path. Unzip once to get the PDF files.
Is there a page limit? There is no hard page cap in the splitter itself. Upload size is capped at 500 MB. Very large page counts take longer; the server may finish remaining parts with a faster save option so other visitors are not blocked.
Is my PDF stored? No. It is processed for your request and discarded. See also our privacy policy.
What if I only have one page? The tool returns an error: a single-page PDF has nothing to split. Use compress or another PDF tool instead.