Three ways to split
By page ranges
Type one or more ranges separated by commas. Each range becomes its own PDF. 1-3 is pages one to three, 7 is page seven on its own, and 11- runs from page eleven to the end. You can list ranges in any order and they can overlap, which is handy when the same cover page has to go at the front of several parts.
Every N pages
Cuts the document into equal parts. With N = 1 you get one file per page, which is what some portals want for scanned forms. With N = 2 a double-sided scan becomes one file per sheet. The last part has whatever pages are left.
By file size
Sets a maximum size per part, for example 5 MB. The tool measures how many bytes each page needs on its own, then groups consecutive pages so each part stays under the limit. This is the fastest way to get a large evidence bundle through a portal with a per-file cap without compressing anything. If a single page is bigger than the limit (a high-resolution scanned photo, say), it goes in a file by itself and the tool tells you which page it was, so you can compress just that one.
Step by step
- Add the PDF. The page count appears beside its name.
- Choose a split method and fill in its field.
- Click Split PDF. Each part is listed with its pages and size.
- Download the parts one by one, or all at once as a ZIP.
Parts are named after the original file with the page span added: statement-p1-3.pdf, statement-p4-10.pdf. That keeps them in order in your downloads folder and makes it obvious what each holds.
What each part keeps
Each part is a new document containing exact copies of its pages: text stays selectable, images are untouched and nothing is re-compressed. Fonts and images shared across pages are included in every part that uses them, so the parts together can be slightly larger than the original. That is normal. Document-level items, such as the outline, metadata and attachments embedded at document level, are not copied into the parts.
Practical uses
- Upload limits. Government and employer portals often cap file size. Split by size to stay under it without changing image quality.
- Sending only what is needed. Extract the two pages a recipient needs from a 40-page contract rather than sending the lot.
- Separating scans. A batch scan of several documents can be cut back into individual files by range.
- Per-page forms. Some portals want each page of a form as its own file; split every 1 page.
Tips
- Check page numbers against the document, not the printed page numbers on the pages, which may start from a cover or use Roman numerals. The tool counts physical pages from 1.
- If a part is still too large, compress it with Compress PDF; strong mode reaches small sizes for scanned documents.
- To delete a few pages rather than extract some, Delete pages is quicker.
On a phone or tablet
Splitting works the same on a phone. Choose the PDF from Files or Downloads, type the ranges, and tap Split. With several parts, Download all saves a ZIP; on an iPhone, open it in Files to extract the PDFs. For a one-page extract, a single range gives you one file you can attach straight to an email or a form.
Splitting versus printing to PDF
A common workaround is to "print" selected pages to a new PDF. That works, but printing re-creates the pages through the print system: links and form fields are lost, text can become slightly different, and file size often grows. Splitting copies the page objects themselves, so the parts are exact copies of the original pages.
Naming the parts
The page span in each file name (-p4-10) makes the parts easy to identify. If a portal wants descriptive names, rename the files after downloading; the contents do not depend on the name.
Large documents
Splitting copies pages rather than re-rendering them, so even a few hundred pages split in seconds. The free version handles files up to 50 MB; PDF Pro removes that limit.
Privacy: the file stays on your device
Online PDF services upload your document to their servers, process it there and keep it for a while. This tool does the work in your browser. The file is read into the page's memory, processed by open-source libraries (pdf-lib for editing and pdf.js for rendering) in a background worker, and the result is offered back as a download. Nothing is sent anywhere, there is no account, and closing the tab discards everything. You can check it: open your browser's developer tools, watch the Network tab while you run the tool, and you will see no upload. After the page has loaded once it also works offline.