# How to split a PDF or extract selected pages

> Save selected pages as one PDF, divide a document into separate files, or split it into fixed groups. Check the page plan before downloading.

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

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

A colleague needs the report, while someone else needs only the schedule. You can create those two files from one PDF without deleting pages from your working document. The key choice is whether your selection should become one PDF or several.

## Choose the kind of split you need

Open a PDF in the [workspace](https://editpdfpages.com/), then choose **Tools → Split / extract**. The **Operation** menu offers three ways to organize the download.

| Operation | What it creates | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Selected pages into one PDF | One file containing the selected pages. | **1, 3** keeps pages 1 and 3 together and leaves page 2 out. |
| Separate PDFs for each range | A separate file for each comma-separated entry. | **1–2, 3** creates a two-page report and a one-page appendix. |
| Split every N pages | Consecutive groups of the chosen size. | Choose **1** under **Pages per PDF** to make one PDF per page. |

One result downloads as a PDF. Multiple results arrive together in a ZIP, with numbered filenames to keep their order. If the page count is not divisible by the group size, the final PDF contains the remaining pages.

## Separate a report from its appendix

For a short practice packet, download the fictional [project report](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/examples/project-report.pdf) and [schedule appendix](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/examples/project-appendix.pdf). The report has two pages; the appendix has one.

1. Open the report. Use the + button beside **Pages**, labeled **Add PDF, JPG or PNG pages**, to append the schedule PDF.
2. Read the three thumbnails in order: **Overview**, **Findings**, then **Schedule appendix**. Leave that order unchanged for this exercise.
3. Choose **Tools → Split / extract**. Set **Operation** to **Separate PDFs for each range** and enter **1–2, 3** in **Pages and ranges**.
4. Check the plan beneath the thumbnails. It should show two PDFs, grouped as **\[1–2\]** and **\[3\]**, with zero omitted pages. Choose **Download ZIP**.
5. Unzip the download and open both PDFs. Check that the first contains Overview and Findings, and that the second contains only Schedule appendix.

The workspace still contains all three pages. Splitting creates copies, so you can make another selection without rebuilding the packet. To extract only the schedule next time, choose **Selected pages into one PDF**, enter **3**, and use **Download PDF**.

## Read the current page numbers

Ranges refer to positions in the workspace. After moving a page, use its new position even if a different number is printed inside the document. Edit PDF Pages does not rewrite printed page numbers or the report's contents list when you split it.

Enter ranges from low to high without overlapping or repeating a page. Typing the numbers in a different order does not reorder the output; move the pages in the workspace first if you need a new sequence. The [page assembly guide](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/merge-and-reorder-pdfs/) covers that step.

## Check what the smaller packet retains

Ordinary splitting preserves PDF content where supported, including selectable text. Hidden source objects can remain, so omitting a page is not a way to sanitize private data. Any redaction or replacement edit anywhere in the workspace makes the split PDFs use sanitized image-only output, even if that edited page is outside your selection.

For a confidential packet, review all retained pages and follow the [redaction guide](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/redact-pdf/). If you simply want fewer visible pages in the working document itself, use [Delete current page](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/delete-pages-from-pdf/) instead.

## Worked example

![Split dialog showing the three-page report packet divided into pages 1–2 and page 3, with no omitted pages](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/images/split-pdf.png)

The ZIP contains two PDFs: Overview and Findings together, followed by the separate Schedule appendix. Both downloads reopened with their intended text, while all three pages remained in the workspace.

## Related guides

- [How to merge PDFs and put the pages in the right order](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/merge-and-reorder-pdfs/)
- [How to delete pages from a PDF before sharing it](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/delete-pages-from-pdf/)
- [Compress a PDF: choose Lossless or Balanced](https://editpdfpages.com/guides/compress-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.