How to split a PDF into multiple files

Splitting a PDF into multiple files sounds like one task, but there are really four, depending on where the cuts should go. Decide which one you need first and the rest takes seconds.

Option 1: by custom ranges (chapters, sections, documents)

Use this when the parts have different lengths: chapters of a course pack, a contract and its annexes, or several documents scanned into one file.

1. Open the split by page range tool and upload the PDF.
2. Type one range per part, separated by commas: 1-12, 13-30, 31-. The last range, 31-, runs to the end of the file.
3. Keep "A PDF per range" selected and click Extract pages.

You get one file per range, named with its pages — coursepack_pages-13-30.pdf — in a single ZIP. The thumbnails show a "Part" label at the start of each range, so you can check the cuts before you split.

Printed page numbers often differ from the position in the file. If chapter 2 "starts on page 11" but the book has eight pages of front matter, it's page 19 in the file. The number under each thumbnail is the one to use.

Option 2: every N pages (equal parts)

Use this when every part should have the same length: two-page forms scanned in one batch, or a 200-page file you want in 20-page chunks.

1. Upload the PDF and choose Split every N pages.
2. Enter the number of pages per part. The tool shows the result as you type — for example "10 parts, the last with 4 pages".
3. Click Split PDF and download the ZIP.

Option 3: one file per page

Use this for payslips, certificates, tickets and anything else where each page is its own document. Choose Split every page; a 50-page file becomes 50 PDFs named …_page-01.pdf to …_page-50.pdf.

Option 4: small enough to email or upload

Email services and upload portals cap file sizes — Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB, and many work email systems and government portals set lower limits such as 10 or 20 MB. To get under a limit, split by page count using a little arithmetic:

1. Work out the average size per page: file size ÷ number of pages. A 120 MB scan with 300 pages is about 0.4 MB per page.
2. Divide your limit by that average, leaving 10% headroom: 20 MB × 0.9 ÷ 0.4 MB ≈ 45.
3. Split every 45 pages. Each part will be roughly 18 MB.

Pages aren't all the same size — a photo-heavy page can be ten times larger than a text page — so check the sizes listed after splitting. If one part is still too big, split that part again with a smaller number. When the whole file is mostly large scans, compressing it first is often the better fix.

Keep the parts organised

• Let the names work for you. Every part is named after the original with its page numbers, padded so they sort correctly (page-007 comes before page-010).
• Download only what you need. After splitting, open "Download files one by one" to save individual parts instead of the whole ZIP.
• Splitting many files the same way? Type the ranges once and reuse them for each file — every output is named after its source file, so nothing gets mixed up.

Does splitting change the content?

No. Pages are copied, not re-printed, so every part keeps its text layer, fonts, images and links. Each part only contains the resources its own pages use, so the parts together are about as big as the original. Bookmarks from the original aren't copied into the parts, and password-locked PDFs must be unlocked first — see why a PDF won't split for the fixes.

Published 13 October 2026 · Last updated 13 October 2026