Split PDF File
Upload a PDF file and choose how to split it. You can split by page ranges or extract individual pages.
How to Split a PDF File
To split a PDF, upload the file, choose a split method (page range, fixed interval, or one file per page), and download the resulting files. The entire process runs in your browser. No file is uploaded to any server.
How PDF Splitting Works
Splitting a PDF creates new documents by copying selected page objects from the source document's page tree into separate output files. Each resulting file is a structurally complete PDF with its own page tree and cross-reference table. Resources referenced by the copied pages, such as embedded fonts and images, are included in each output file. The source document is never modified.
PDFDeal supports three split modes. Page range mode lets you define one or more custom ranges and produces one output file per range. Fixed interval mode divides the document into equal segments of N pages each. Single-page mode creates one separate file for every page in the document. All three modes run entirely in the browser.
How to Split a PDF Using PDFDeal
- Upload your PDF. Click the upload area or drag and drop your document onto the page.
- Choose a split method. Select page range to define specific segments, fixed interval to divide every N pages, or single-page to extract every page as its own file.
- Apply the split. Click the button to process the document in your browser.
- Download your results. Save the individual files to your device. Multiple output files are packaged into a ZIP archive for download.
Split Modes Explained
Page range: You define the start and end page numbers for each segment you want. For example, pages 1-5 as one file and pages 6-12 as another. This is the right mode when you know exactly which sections you need as standalone documents.
Fixed interval: The document is divided into equal segments of a size you specify. A 20-page document split every 5 pages produces four files of 5 pages each. This is useful for batch-scanned archives where each record has the same page count.
Single-page extraction: Every page becomes its own file. A 10-page document produces 10 individual PDFs. This is useful for separating combined invoice batches or form submissions where each page is a distinct record.
If you need to remove unwanted pages before splitting, the delete pages tool can clean up the document first. To pull out specific pages without splitting the whole file, use the extract pages tool instead.
When to Split a PDF
- A file exceeds the attachment size limit for your email provider.
- You need to share only a specific section of a report without exposing the full document.
- You are archiving scanned records and need each document stored as an individual file.
- A combined export from another system contains multiple invoices, contracts, or forms that need to be separated.
- A collaborator only needs their assigned section of a shared draft.
After splitting, you can compress each resulting file to reduce its size before sending. To reassemble files later, the merge tool combines multiple PDFs back into one.
Watch: How to Split a PDF Online
FAQ
Upload your PDF to PDFDeal's split tool, choose a split method (page range, fixed interval, or single-page), and click the split button. The tool creates separate PDF files from the selected page groups and packages them into a ZIP archive for download. No account or software installation is required, and the file never leaves your browser.
Splitting divides a document into multiple output files according to a pattern, such as every 5 pages or one file per page. It is designed for systematic division of the whole document. Extracting pages lets you select specific individual pages and saves them as a single new file. Use splitting when you need to segment the entire document, and extraction when you need a specific subset of pages as one file.
Select the page range mode in the split tool, then enter the start and end page numbers for each segment you want. For example, entering 1-5 and 6-12 produces two output files: one containing pages 1 through 5 and another containing pages 6 through 12. Each output is a structurally complete PDF containing only the pages in that range.
Yes. The fixed interval mode divides the document into segments of equal page count. You specify the number of pages per segment and the tool calculates the split points automatically. A 30-page document split every 10 pages produces three files of 10 pages each. If the total page count is not evenly divisible, the last file contains the remaining pages.
Select the single-page mode. The tool copies each page into its own output PDF and packages all the resulting files into a ZIP archive. This is the standard approach for separating batch-scanned documents where each page is a distinct record, such as individual invoices or signed forms.
Each output file is smaller than the original because it contains fewer pages. However, resources such as embedded fonts that are shared across multiple pages are included in every output file that references them, so the combined size of all output files may exceed the original. To reduce individual output files further, run them through the compress tool after splitting.
No. Microsoft Word can open a PDF by converting it to an editable Word document, but it does not support splitting a PDF into separate files. Windows also has no built-in PDF splitting capability. Adobe Acrobat Pro includes a split feature but requires a paid subscription. Browser-based tools like PDFDeal handle splitting without any software installation or subscription. If you need to edit the content of a PDF before splitting, PDFDeal's PDF editor is available on the same platform.
Yes. PDFDeal's split tool runs entirely in your browser. The file is loaded into browser memory and processed locally. No data is transmitted to any server at any point during the operation. The output files are generated on your device and downloaded directly.
If the PDF has a user password, you will need to enter it before the file can be loaded and split. If the document has an owner password that restricts editing, splitting may be blocked since it requires copying page content into new documents. Removing the owner password first will allow the split to proceed.
Page content, images, and fonts are preserved in each output file. Bookmarks that pointed to pages not included in a given output file will no longer resolve correctly, since those pages do not exist in that file. Internal hyperlinks to pages outside the split range will similarly become broken. Cross-references that stay within the same output file are unaffected.
Yes. PDFDeal's merge tool combines multiple PDF files into a single document. Upload the files you want to combine, arrange them in the correct order, and download the merged result. The merge tool works on any PDF files, not only those produced by the split tool.