How to split PDF pages into separate files

Splitting a PDF turns one long document into several smaller ones, or pulls out just the pages you need. It's useful for sending only the relevant part of a report, breaking a batch of scanned forms into one file each, or getting under an email attachment limit.

This guide covers the different ways to split a PDF and how to do each one.

Updated October 14, 2026 · By the PDFZyro team

Choose how to split

By page ranges: for example 1-3, 5 and 8 to the end, one new file per range.
Every few pages: a 40-page batch of 2-page forms becomes 20 files.
By file size: each part stays under a size you choose, handy for email.
By bookmarks: a report splits into its chapters.
Extract pages: copy only the pages you need into a single new file, leaving the original complete.

How to split a PDF in PDFZyro

Open Split and choose your PDF, or upload it.
Pick how to split: page ranges, every few pages, by size or by bookmarks.
For page ranges, type them separated by commas, for example 1-3, 5, 8- (8- means page 8 to the end).
Confirm. Each part is saved as its own PDF in the same folder, up to 100 parts, and your original is unchanged.
Open, share or download the parts. To save just a few pages as one file, use Extract pages instead.

Splitting without any tool

If you only need one range of pages, most computers can do it with their built-in print dialog: choose Print, pick 'Microsoft Print to PDF' on Windows or 'Save as PDF' on a Mac, enter the page range, and save. This creates a new PDF with just those pages, but form fields, links and bookmarks may be lost, and you have to repeat it for every part.

Tips

Split a copy and keep the complete original.
Name the parts clearly, for example Contract - Schedule A.
For scanned batches, split every N pages, then check the first and last part.
To put pages back together, or in a different order, merge the parts.

Common splitting jobs, and how to do each

Separate a contract from its schedules: split by page ranges, one range per part.
Send one chapter of a long report: split by bookmarks, or extract that chapter's pages.
One file per scanned form: split every few pages, matching the number of pages per form.
A PDF of many one-page invoices: split every 1 page so each invoice becomes its own file.
An upload portal or email with a size limit: split by file size.

Splitting to get under an email size limit

Most email services limit attachments to around 20-25 MB in total, and many company mail servers set lower limits. If a PDF is too big to send, you have two options: make it smaller with Compress PDF, which mostly shrinks the pictures inside, or split it by file size into parts that fit, and send them in separate emails.

Compressing first is usually better, because the reader gets one document. Split when the document is mostly scans or photos and is still too large after compressing.

Splitting a PDF on a phone or tablet

PDFZyro runs in the browser on iPhone, iPad and Android, so the steps are the same as on a computer: open Split, choose the PDF from your files, pick how to split and confirm. The parts are saved to your PDFZyro library, where you can open, share or download them.

Questions and answers

How do I separate pages in a PDF?

Open the PDF with Split in PDFZyro and choose page ranges, every few pages, a file size or bookmarks. Each part becomes its own PDF. To pull out a few pages into one file, use Extract pages.

How do I save one page of a PDF as a separate file?

Use Extract pages and choose the page. It is copied into a new PDF, and the original keeps all its pages.

Does splitting a PDF reduce its quality?

No. The pages are copied as they are, so text and pictures keep their quality.

Is splitting PDFs free?

Splitting isn't counted towards the Free plan's daily tasks, so you can split as often as you need, with files up to the Free plan's size limit.

How do I split a PDF into single pages?

Choose to split every 1 page. Each page becomes its own PDF, up to 100 parts at a time. For a longer document, split it in two first, or extract the pages you need.

Where are the split parts saved?

In PDFZyro each part is saved as a new document in the same folder as the original, so they're easy to find together. You can rename them, move them to another folder, share them or download them.

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