# How to delete pages from a PDF before sharing it

> Remove an unwanted page, check the shorter PDF, and choose a sanitized export when the deleted material contains private information.

[Read this guide in Edit PDF Pages](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/delete-pages-from-pdf/)

Content updated: 2026-10-12. Example checked 12 October 2026 in Chrome 155 on macOS.

The statement is ready to send, but the notes page does not belong in the packet. Delete that page from the workspace and export the remaining one. If you want to keep the workspace intact and download only selected pages, use [Split / extract](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/split-pdf/) instead.

## Remove the notes page

Open the fictional [sample statement](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/examples/statement.pdf) in the [PDF workspace](https://editpdfpages.com/).

1. Select page 2 in the thumbnail list and read its heading in the large preview.
2. Choose the trash button labeled **Delete current page** below the thumbnails.
3. Check that only the statement page remains. Use **Undo** if you removed the wrong one.

The final page cannot be deleted, so the control is now disabled. The keyboard's Delete key removes a selected annotation, not a PDF page; use the thumbnail-area control for page deletion.

## Check the shortened packet

For ordinary cleanup, choose **Export**, set the format to **PDF** and select **Preserve PDF structure**, then **Create PDF**. Source text and vector graphics on retained pages are preserved. The original PDF on disk stays unchanged.

Open the download and confirm it has one page with the expected heading. In a longer document, inspect each join where pages were removed. Printed page numbers, contents lists and references to an appendix do not update automatically when workspace pages disappear.

## If the removed page held private information

Preserve mode can keep metadata, attachments and hidden source objects. Removing a page from the visible packet does not establish that its data has been purged from the file.

Choose **Sanitized image-only PDF** when you need a fresh PDF built from the retained pages without copying source objects. This also removes selectable text, searchable OCR, interactive forms and links. Redactions or replacements anywhere in the workspace force this export path.

Review the retained pages for repeated details. An account number removed with a summary page may still appear in another header; [mark those details for redaction](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/redact-pdf/) before exporting.

**Deleting a page does not remove it from an editable backup.** A **.folio** project or local draft can retain the original document, including removed pages. Keep that backup separate and share the reviewed PDF export.

## Worked example

![Statement reduced to one page with the delete-page control disabled](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/images/delete-pages-from-pdf.png)

Removing the notes page leaves one visible page in the downloaded preserved PDF. Page deletion alone does not sanitize hidden source data.

## Related guides

- [How to split a PDF or extract selected pages](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/split-pdf/)
- [How to merge PDFs and put the pages in the right order](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/merge-and-reorder-pdfs/)
- [How to redact a PDF and check the finished file](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/redact-pdf/)

These guides were prepared with AI assistance and checked using fictional documents. Examples contain no real customer or account data. See each guide's example for the workflow and its limits.