How to Split a PDF Into Multiple Files
Splitting usually comes down to sharing less than the whole thing: three pages of a long bank statement, one section of a contract, or a single form from a bundle.
4 min readUpdated 14 September 2026Dockeazy editorial
The short answer
Upload the PDF, type the pages you want using commas and hyphens — for example 1, 4-6, 9 — then extract and download. Your original file is never modified.
Split PDF
Extract pages or split one PDF into several files.
Step by step
- 1Find the page numbers you needUse the page numbers shown by your PDF viewer, not the numbers printed on the page. A report where page 1 is a cover often has printed numbers that run one or two behind.
- 2Enter the rangeCommas separate individual pages and hyphens cover a span. 1, 4-6, 9 keeps five pages: 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9, in that order.
- 3Extract and downloadYou get a new PDF containing only the pages you listed. The file you uploaded is untouched.
- 4Repeat for each section if you need several filesTo break one document into three parts, run the extraction three times with a different range each time.
Page numbers versus printed numbers
This catches almost everyone at least once. A document with a cover page and a contents page means the page printed as "1" is actually the third page of the file.
Always work from the position in the file. Scroll to the page you want and note the number your viewer shows in its toolbar.
Splitting a scanned document
Scans split exactly like any other PDF, because the operation works on whole pages rather than their contents.
One thing worth knowing: each extracted page keeps its full original resolution, so a three-page extract from a large scan is still a fairly large file. Compress afterwards if you are emailing it.
When you want the opposite
If you are keeping most of the document and dropping a few pages, deleting is faster than extracting. Listing pages 1-40 and 42-90 to remove page 41 is needlessly fiddly.
If the pages are in the wrong sequence rather than the wrong file, reordering is the job you actually want.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write page ranges?
Commas for single pages, hyphens for spans. 2, 5-8, 11 keeps pages 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11.
Does splitting change the original file?
No. Extraction produces a new PDF and leaves your uploaded file exactly as it was.
Can I split a password-protected PDF?
Remove the password first, then split the unlocked copy.
Can I extract a single page?
Yes. Enter just that page number on its own.
Related tools
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