How to Split a PDF by Page Ranges
Extract pages or split a PDF into separate files by page range. A clear walkthrough of PDF PILOT's in-browser Split tool, with tips for common cases.
Splitting vs extracting
Splitting a PDF breaks one document into several files by page ranges. Extracting pulls specific pages into a new file. PDF PILOT's Split tool handles both — you specify the ranges, and the tool produces one output file per range.
The distinction matters for how you think about the job. If you have a 50-page report and want chapters as separate files, you are splitting. If you want just pages 12 and 13 as a standalone excerpt, you are extracting — which is just splitting with a single-page range.
Specifying page ranges
Page ranges use the obvious syntax: a single page number produces a one-page file, a range like 1-5 produces pages one through five, and you can combine multiple ranges to produce multiple output files in one pass. Numbering is based on the document's actual page order, not on any printed page labels.
Common cases
The most common split is extracting a single page or a short range — pulling one section out of a longer document to share or file separately. The second most common is breaking a long document into chapters, where each chapter becomes its own file. Both are one operation in the Split tool.
After the split
Each output file downloads separately. Because the operation runs locally, there is no upload step and no server queue — the files are ready as soon as your browser finishes writing them. Open each one to confirm the page range before sharing or filing.
Step-by-step
How to follow this guide for "How to Split a PDF by Page Ranges".
Open the Split tool
Navigate to /tools/split in PDF PILOT. The tool loads in your browser with no install required.
Add your PDF
Drag and drop the PDF you want to split, or click to browse and select it.
Specify page ranges
Enter the page ranges for each output file. A single number extracts one page; a range like 1-5 extracts pages one through five.
Click Split
The output files are generated locally and download separately. Your file never leaves your device.
FAQ
- Yes. Provide a single page number per output file to extract each page as its own document, or use ranges to group pages.
- Each output file contains only its pages, so it is smaller than the original. If you need each part as small as possible, run the Compress tool on the outputs afterward.
- No. PDF PILOT's Split tool runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
- Use a range per output file. To combine non-contiguous pages into a single file, extract them as separate files and then merge those files with the Merge tool.
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