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How to Split a PDF — Free Online, No Signup

Whether you need to separate one chapter from a book or break a document into individual pages, splitting a PDF takes seconds.

Apr 12, 20264 min read
pdftoolz
How to Split a PDF — Free Online, No Signup

Splitting a PDF is the mirror image of merging one. Instead of combining documents, you're breaking one document into smaller pieces — by page range, by chapter, or into individual single-page files. Common use cases: sending only the relevant pages of a contract, separating a multi-chapter report, or distributing individual invoices from a batch PDF.

Here's how to split a PDF in under 60 seconds, completely free.

How to split a PDF online (step by step)

Web interface showing a PDF split tool with page range inputs
Enter the page ranges you want, or split every page into its own file.
  1. 1Open the Split PDF tool. No signup needed.
  2. 2Upload your PDF. Drag and drop the file onto the page or click to browse.
  3. 3Choose your split mode. Split by custom page ranges or split every page into a separate file.
  4. 4Enter page ranges (if applicable). For example: 1-3, 4-6, 7 gives you three output files.
  5. 5Click 'Split PDF'. The tool splits the document instantly.
  6. 6Download the results. Each output file downloads as a separate PDF, or as a ZIP if multiple files are created.

Split modes explained

Diagram showing two PDF split modes: by page range and into individual pages
Split by custom page ranges for chapters, or into individual pages for batch processing.
  1. Split by page range: Specify custom ranges like 1-5, 6-10, 11-15. Each range becomes its own PDF file. Ideal for splitting a document by chapter, section, or recipient.
  2. Split every page: Each page of the PDF becomes its own separate file. Useful for processing individual pages, extracting invoices from a batch, or separating scanned documents.
Tip: If you want to extract specific pages into one new document without changing the original, use the Extract Pages tool instead of Split PDF.

What happens to the output files?

Each output file contains the pages you specified, with all original content — text, images, fonts, and annotations — preserved exactly. Output files are named sequentially (e.g. output_1.pdf, output_2.pdf). If the split produces more than one file, all files are packaged into a ZIP archive for download.

All files are permanently deleted from our servers within 2 hours.

Multiple PDF file icons arranged after splitting from one source document
Split output files are named sequentially and packaged in a ZIP for easy download.

Split PDF vs Remove Pages vs Extract Pages

  1. Split PDF: Breaks one PDF into multiple output files based on page ranges.
  2. Remove Pages: Deletes specific pages from a PDF, keeping the rest as one file.
  3. Extract Pages: Pulls out specific pages into a new PDF without modifying the original.
  4. Merge PDF: Combines multiple PDFs into one — the reverse operation.

Frequently asked questions

QCan I split a PDF into individual pages?

Yes. Choose the 'Split every page' mode and the tool will create one PDF file per page. All files are packaged in a ZIP archive for download.

QHow many files can I split a PDF into?

There's no fixed limit on the number of output files. A 100-page PDF split into individual pages will produce 100 separate files, all available in one ZIP download.

QWill splitting a PDF affect quality?

No. The split tool works at the structural PDF level — it does not re-render or re-encode any content. All text, images, and formatting are identical to the original.

QHow do I split a PDF on Mac?

Use pdftoolz.io/tools/split-pdf in any browser. Alternatively, open the PDF in macOS Preview, drag page thumbnails from the sidebar into a Finder window to extract individual pages.

QCan I split a password-protected PDF?

You need to unlock the PDF first. Use the Unlock PDF tool to remove the password, then split the unlocked version.

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