How This PDF Splitter Works
This PDF splitter extracts selected pages from a document and assembles them into a new, standalone PDF file. You upload a PDF, see thumbnail previews of every page, select the pages you want, and download the result. The entire process runs locally in your browser. Your files never leave your device.
Under the hood, the tool relies on two libraries. PDF.js, developed by Mozilla, renders each page of your document onto an HTML canvas to generate the thumbnail previews you see on screen. When you click extract, the tool hands the original file and your page selection to QPDF, a PDF transformation library compiled to WebAssembly and running inside a dedicated Web Worker thread. QPDF reads the internal PDF structure, copies the specified page objects and their associated resources (fonts, images, color profiles) into a new PDF file, and returns the result. Because QPDF operates on the raw PDF object tree rather than re-rendering content, the output pages are byte-level identical to the originals.
What Happens to Bookmarks, Links, and Annotations
A PDF page carries more than visible content. It can contain clickable hyperlinks, form fields, text annotations, and bookmark entries in the document outline. When QPDF copies pages into a new file, it preserves the annotation objects attached to each extracted page. That means hyperlinks, sticky notes, and form fields on the selected pages appear in the output file exactly as they did in the original.
Bookmarks (the document outline tree) work differently. Bookmark entries reference specific page destinations by internal object ID. When only a subset of pages is extracted, bookmark entries that point to pages not included in the output lose their targets. QPDF keeps the bookmark structure that still resolves correctly, but entries pointing to removed pages will either be dropped or become non-functional. If you need a complete bookmark tree, extract all the pages it references.
Cross-page links follow the same principle. A link annotation on page 3 that jumps to page 10 will only work in the output file if both pages are included in your selection. Links to external URLs are unaffected and always survive extraction.
Practical Use Cases
Extracting chapters or sections. Technical manuals, textbooks, and legal contracts often span hundreds of pages. Rather than sharing the full document, extract the specific chapter or clause the recipient needs. The output file is self-contained and ready to send.
Separating scanned pages. Flatbed scanners and multi-function printers frequently produce a single PDF containing every page in the batch. Use the splitter to pull out individual documents from the combined scan, such as separating invoices, receipts, or signed forms that were scanned together.
Reducing file size for email. Email providers enforce attachment limits, typically between 10 and 25 MB. If a PDF exceeds that threshold because it contains many pages, extracting only the relevant pages produces a smaller file that fits within the limit. For further size reduction, run the result through a PDF compressor afterward.
Preparing print jobs. When you need to print selected pages from a large document, extracting them first avoids mistakes with page-range dialogs in print settings. The extracted file contains exactly the pages you intend to print, nothing more.
Removing sensitive content. If a document contains pages with confidential data that should not be shared, extract only the non-sensitive pages into a new file. Since the tool runs entirely in your browser, the confidential pages never touch a remote server.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I select non-consecutive pages?
Yes. Click individual page thumbnails in any order. The tool collects all selected pages and writes them into the output file in their original sequence. You can also use Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac) to select all pages at once.
Does the tool modify my original file?
No. The original PDF is read into memory and never altered. The extraction process creates a separate, new PDF file from the selected pages.
Why does the tool reject single-page PDFs?
A single-page PDF cannot be split further. The tool detects this case and prompts you to upload a document with two or more pages.
Can I split a password-protected PDF?
Not directly. You need to remove the password first. Use the Unlock PDF tool, then upload the unlocked file here.
Will extracted pages lose image quality or fonts?
No. QPDF copies page objects at the binary level without re-encoding images or substituting fonts. The output is identical to the corresponding pages in the source document.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Both the PDF.js preview rendering and the QPDF page extraction run entirely within your browser. No file data is transmitted over the network.
Related Tools
You might also find these tools useful:
- Merge PDF — Combine multiple PDF files into a single document.
- Compress PDF — Reduce PDF file size by compressing images and removing unused objects.
- PDF to JPG — Convert individual PDF pages into JPG image files.
- Unlock PDF — Remove password protection from a PDF so it can be split or edited.