When you need to split a PDF
The most common reasons to split a PDF: you received a large document and only need a few pages, you want to extract a specific chapter, you need to separate invoices that were merged together, a file upload portal has a strict page or size limit, or you need to share only part of a confidential document with a specific recipient.
How to split a PDF free — step by step
- Open ihatepdf.cv/split-pdf — no sign-up required
- Upload your PDF by clicking or dragging the file
- Choose your split mode (see the options below)
- Click Split PDF and download the result — no watermark, no server upload
Split modes explained
- Split every page — produces one separate PDF file per page. Useful when you need to distribute pages individually. Downloads as a ZIP file containing all pages.
- Extract page range — enter a range like 3–7 to extract pages 3 through 7 as a single PDF. Enter multiple ranges like 1–3, 8–10 to extract different sections.
- Extract specific pages — enter individual page numbers like 1, 4, 9 to pull out just those pages into a new PDF.
- Split by odd/even — useful for documents scanned double-sided that need the front and back sides separated.
How to extract just one page from a PDF
Select "Extract page range" mode and enter the same page number in both fields — for example, enter "5–5" or simply "5" to extract only page 5. The result downloads as a single-page PDF.
How to remove a page from a PDF instead of extracting it
Splitting extracts pages rather than deletes them. To remove specific pages and keep the rest, use Organize Pages instead — it shows all page thumbnails, lets you click the delete icon on any page, and downloads the cleaned-up PDF. You can also rotate sideways pages while you're there before downloading.
Split a large PDF to meet upload limits
Government portals, job application systems, and university submission forms frequently impose file size limits of 2–5MB. The best workflow: use Compress PDF first. If still too large, split the document into logical sections, compress each section separately, and submit them individually. You can always merge them back later if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I extract non-consecutive pages?
Yes. Enter page numbers or ranges separated by commas: for example, 1, 3, 5–8, 12 will extract pages 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 12 into a single PDF.
Is there a page limit?
No. Split PDFs with hundreds of pages — the only constraint is your browser's memory.
Will the split pages maintain their original quality?
Yes. Splitting is a structural operation only — no re-encoding occurs and no quality change is applied to any page content.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Splitting runs entirely locally in your browser using pdf-lib via WebAssembly. Your file never leaves your device.