How to Split a PDF and Extract Specific Pages

Extracting pages vs. splitting a PDF — they're different jobs

Extract pulls the pages you select into one new PDF, in the order you picked them — the pages you didn't select are dropped entirely. Split instead cuts the whole document into several separate PDFs at the ranges you define, so every page ends up in one of the output files. Use extract when you want, say, just pages 3 and 7 out of a 40-page report; use split when you want a 120-page scanned book divided into per-chapter files.

Typing a page range instead of clicking every page

Both visual thumbnail selection and a typed range box stay in sync with each other — click pages, or type something like 1-3,7,9-10, and either one updates the same selection. A comma separates distinct segments; a hyphen defines an inclusive range. 1-3,7,9-10 means "pages 1 through 3, page 7, and pages 9 through 10" — 6 pages total.

How to extract specific pages — 3 steps

Upload your PDF to Split PDF.
Select the pages you want — click thumbnails, or type a range like 2,5-8.
Extract and download — the selected pages combine into one new PDF, in order.

How to split into several files — 3 steps

Upload your PDF and switch to split mode.
Define your ranges — each comma-separated group (e.g. 1-10,11-20,21-30) becomes its own output file.
Split and download — every group downloads as a separate PDF, zipped together.

Does splitting change page quality or content?

No. Pages are copied at their original resolution and content into the new document — nothing is re-rendered, re-scanned, or re-compressed in the process. The output pages are byte-identical in substance to the source, just repackaged into new files.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between extracting pages and splitting a PDF?

Extracting pulls the pages you pick into one new PDF, in order — the rest of the document is dropped. Splitting instead cuts the document into several separate PDFs at the ranges you define, keeping every page across the output files.

Can I type a page range instead of clicking each page?

Yes — type ranges like "1-3,7,9-10" and they resolve to the same page selection as clicking thumbnails. Both stay in sync, so you can start with one and fine-tune with the other.

Does the split or extracted PDF keep the original quality?

Yes — pages are copied at their original resolution and content, not re-rendered or re-compressed. What you get is identical to the source pages, just in a new file.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere to split it?

No — splitting and extracting both run entirely in your browser using pdf-lib. The file is never sent to a server.