How to Split a PDF Into Separate Pages

Sometimes you do not need an entire PDF. You may only need a few pages for email, uploading, sharing, or creating a smaller document.

Splitting a PDF lets you turn one large document into several smaller files while keeping the original document available as a backup.

QUICK ANSWER

Choose where the PDF should be divided

Upload or open the PDF, select the pages or page ranges you want to separate, create the new files, and check each result before deleting the original.

When Should You Split a PDF?

Splitting a PDF is useful when only part of a document needs to be shared or stored separately.

Send fewer pages

Share only the pages someone actually needs.

Create smaller files

Break a long document into easier-to-manage sections.

Organize documents

Separate chapters, invoices, forms, or reports.

Method 1: Split a PDF Online With Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat's online Split PDF tool lets you mark where a document should be divided into separate PDF files.

After uploading the PDF, you select the divider positions between page thumbnails and then save the resulting files.

1

Open the Split PDF tool

Open Adobe Acrobat's online PDF splitting tool.

2

Upload your PDF

Select the document you want to divide.

3

Choose the split points

Select the divider lines between pages where you want a new PDF to begin.

4

Save the split files

Continue, save the new files, and check that the pages were divided correctly.

EGGLOVER TIP

Decide the page ranges before you start. For example, if you want pages 1 to 3, 4 to 7, and 8 to 10 as separate files, knowing the ranges first makes the process much faster.

Different Ways to Split a PDF

Depending on the Acrobat version you use, PDFs can be divided in several different ways.

Split Method	Useful For
Page ranges	Creating specific sections from one PDF
Number of pages	Making equal-size document sections
File size	Creating files below a particular size
Bookmarks	Dividing structured reports or long documents

Method 2: Extract PDF Pages on Mac With Preview

Mac Preview does not require a separate PDF splitting tool if you only want to create a new PDF from selected pages.

You can display the page thumbnails, select the pages you need, and drag them to the desktop to create a new PDF.

Mac Preview steps

1. Open the PDF in Preview.
2. Select View and then Thumbnails.
3. Select the page thumbnails you want.
4. Drag the selected thumbnails to your desktop.
5. Open the new PDF and check the pages.

KEEP THE ORIGINAL

Keep the original PDF until you have checked that the new file contains every page you need.

Check the Split Files

Before sharing the new PDFs, open each one and confirm that the document was divided correctly.

First page

Make sure each file begins on the correct page.

Last page

Confirm that each section ends where you intended.

Missing pages

Check that no important page was skipped.

Split or Extract: What Is the Difference?

These two terms are related, but they are not exactly the same.

Action	What It Does	Best Use
Split	Divides one PDF into multiple files	Breaking a large document into sections
Extract	Copies selected pages into a new PDF	Saving only a few specific pages

What If the New PDF Is Still Too Large?

Splitting a PDF reduces the number of pages in each file, but it does not necessarily compress the images or other data inside those pages.

RELATED GUIDE

If the split PDF is still too large, use lighter compression afterward. See our guide: How to Compress a PDF Without Losing Quality.

Need to Put the PDFs Back Together?

If you later need to combine the files again, you can merge them into one document.

RELATED GUIDE

See our guide: How to Merge PDF Files Into One PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I save one page from a PDF as a separate file?

Yes. You can extract a single page into a new PDF using a PDF tool or by dragging the page thumbnail from Preview on a Mac.

Does splitting a PDF reduce quality?

Splitting normally separates pages rather than compressing them, so visual quality should generally remain unchanged.

Can I split a PDF by file size?

Desktop Acrobat supports splitting by a maximum file size as well as by page count and top-level bookmarks.

Should I delete the original PDF?

Keep the original until you have checked every split file and confirmed that no pages are missing.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

Split only the pages you need

Choose the pages or ranges you want, create the new PDFs, and review the results before sharing them. Keep the original document until you know every page is where it should be.

Sources and Last Checked

Last checked: September 2026

• Adobe Acrobat Help: Split PDFs on the web
• Adobe Acrobat Help: Split PDFs by pages, size, or bookmarks
• Apple Support: Add, delete, or move PDF pages in Preview on Mac