How to Split a PDF Into Multiple Files
A 60-page report where you only need pages 12 through 18. A scanned bundle that's actually three separate contracts stapled together digitally. Splitting a PDF turns one unwieldy file into exactly the pieces you need.
Splitting vs Extracting: What's the Difference?
These two terms get used interchangeably, but there's a useful distinction. Splitting divides an entire PDF into multiple output files - for example, breaking a 20-page document into four 5-page files. Extracting pulls specific pages out into a single new file and discards the rest. If you only need certain pages and don't care about the remainder, see our guide on extracting PDF pages instead.
How to Split a PDF Online
LovePDFImg's Split PDF tool breaks a document apart in your browser.
Upload a PDF, choose your split points or page ranges, download separate files.
- Open Split PDF.
- Upload the PDF you want to divide.
- Choose how to split it - by page ranges, or at fixed intervals.
- Click Split.
- Download the resulting files, either individually or as a batch.
Common Reasons to Split a PDF
- Breaking up a scanned bundle - a scanner combined multiple separate documents into one file, and you need them apart again.
- Sharing a chapter, not the whole book - sending a specific section of a long report without the rest.
- Reducing file size for email - a large file split into smaller pieces that fit within an attachment limit.
After Splitting
Once you have your separate files, you can merge a subset of them back together in a different order, rotate any pages that came out sideways, or compress each piece individually.
Key Takeaways
- Splitting divides a PDF into multiple output files; extracting pulls specific pages into one file.
- Split PDF runs in your browser - no upload, no signup.
- You can split by page ranges or at fixed intervals depending on what you need.