How to Split a PDF into Separate Pages or Files

To split a PDF, open the Split PDF tool and choose a method: by page range, by picking pages, or every few pages. You can type page lists such as 1-3, 5, 8- and download several parts as a ZIP.

Splitting a PDF means taking one document and turning it into several smaller ones — or pulling out just the pages you need. You might want to send one chapter of a report to a colleague, separate a scanned stack of invoices, or upload a single page to a form that only accepts small files.

This guide shows you three simple ways to split a PDF for free, how to choose exactly the right pages, and how to do it on Mac, Windows and your phone.

What are the different ways to split a PDF?

Most splitting jobs fall into one of three types:

• By ranges — choose page ranges like 1–5 and 6–10, and each range becomes its own file. Ideal for separating chapters or sections.
• Extract pages — pick individual pages, like 2, 7 and 9. You can save them together as one PDF or as one file per page.
• Every N pages — split a long document into equal parts, for example a new file every 2 pages. Perfect for a scanned pile of two-page forms.

PDFixed Split PDF supports all three, with page previews so you can see exactly what goes where.

How do I split a PDF online for free?

1. Open the Split PDF tool.
2. Click Select PDF file, or drop your PDF onto the page. Every page appears as a preview.
3. Choose how you want to split:
   • By ranges: set the From page and To page for each range. Add as many ranges as you need. Tick Put all ranges into one PDF if you want a single file.
   • Extract pages: click the pages you want, or type them in the box.
   • Every N pages: enter how many pages each new file should have.
4. Check the summary — for example "This will create 3 PDF files".
5. Click Split PDF, then download your files one by one or all together as a ZIP.

The page previews are colour-coded, so in range mode you can see at a glance which pages belong to which new file.

How do I choose exactly the pages I want?

In Extract mode you can type a page list instead of clicking. The format is simple:

If you type a page that doesn't exist — like 15 in a 12-page file — the tool tells you straight away, so you never end up with an empty or wrong file.

How do I split a PDF on Mac?

In Preview you can extract pages without extra software:

1. Open the PDF and choose View → Thumbnails.
2. Select the pages you want in the sidebar (hold Command to pick several).
3. Drag them to your desktop. Preview creates a new PDF from the selected pages.

Alternatively, choose File → Print, enter a page range, then click PDF → Save as PDF. Printing to PDF can sometimes drop links or form fields, so for clean results a dedicated split tool is better.

How do I split a PDF on Windows?

Windows has no built-in PDF splitter, but you can use the print method in any browser: open the PDF in Edge or Chrome, press Ctrl + P, choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF), enter the pages you want under Pages, and save. This works for a quick one-page extract.

For multiple files at once, page previews, or splitting every few pages, use Split PDF instead — it does all of that in one go, for free.

How do I split a PDF on my phone?

Open pdfixed.com/split-pdf in your mobile browser, select the PDF from your Files app or downloads, choose your split mode and tap Split PDF. When there are several results, downloading the ZIP keeps them together in one file on your phone.

Tips for splitting PDFs

• Name things clearly. PDFixed names each file after its pages, such as "report-pages-1-5.pdf", so you always know what's inside.
• Use a ZIP for many files. If you split a 40-page scan into 20 parts, one ZIP download is much tidier than 20 separate downloads.
• Clean up first. If the original has blank or sideways pages, fix them with Organize Pages before splitting.
• Need to put pages back together? Use Merge PDF — see our guide on how to merge PDF files.

When is splitting not enough?

Splitting works page by page. If you need a long document divided by chapter with new covers, page numbers that restart in each part, or bookmarks rebuilt for every section, our PDF experts can prepare each part properly for you.