How to Extract Pages from a PDF

To extract pages from a PDF, open the PDF Splitter, drop in your file, keep the mode on Extract pages to one PDF, type the pages you want (for example 2-4,8), and click Split PDF. You get one new PDF containing only those pages, while your original stays untouched. If you'd rather break a document into many separate files, see how to split a PDF into multiple files instead.

How to extract pages step by step

1. Add your PDF. Drop it onto Drop a PDF to split, or click to browse. One file at a time, up to 50 MB.
2. Check the mode. The Split mode menu starts on Extract pages to one PDF, which is the one you want.
3. Type your pages. In the Pages (1-based) box, replace the default 1 with your pages. Use a hyphen for a range and commas between items. The hint under the box gives an example: 1-3,5 keeps pages 1 to 3 and 5. Page numbers start at 1, the same as in your PDF viewer. They don't follow any printed page labels like "iv" or "Page 12 of 40".
4. Extract. Click Split PDF. The Split complete panel shows the original's Source pages and Output file(s): 1.
5. Download. Click Download to save yourfile-extract.pdf. Reset clears everything for the next file.

Worked example: pulling the signed pages from a contract

You have lease-agreement.pdf, 14 pages long. Your landlord only needs the signature pages, 12 and 13, plus the summary on page 2.

Enter 2,12-13 and click Split PDF. The panel shows Source pages: 14 and Output file(s): 1. The download, lease-agreement-extract.pdf, has 3 pages: page 2, then pages 12 and 13.

Two variations:

• Removing pages. To send everything except the 3-page appendix at the end (pages 12 to 14), enter 1-11. The new file has 11 pages.
• Removing a page from the middle. To drop only page 7, enter 1-6,8-14. That gives 6 + 7 = 13 pages.

Page order and duplicates

Extract mode sorts the pages you type into ascending order and removes repeats. That means:

• 8,2-4 produces pages 2, 3, 4, 8, in that order
• 1-3,2-5 produces pages 1 to 5, with no duplicates

If you need a custom order, such as putting a summary page last, extract the pieces separately and recombine them with Merge PDF. For example, extract 2-14 into one file and 1 into another, then merge them with the second file at the bottom. The merge guide shows how to arrange files with the arrow buttons.

Extract vs split: which do you need?

The difference matters in the page box. In extract mode, 1-3,5 means "pages 1, 2, 3, and 5 in one file". In Split into multiple PDFs, the same text means "two files: pages 1 to 3, and page 5". Double-check the mode before you click.

Tips

• Get a smaller attachment. Extracting is often the simplest way to cut file size: fewer pages usually means fewer bytes. If the extract is still too large, run it through the PDF Compressor.
• Need one page as an image? Extract the page first, then convert it with PDF to JPG. That tool converts every page of whatever you give it, so a 1-page extract produces exactly one JPG.
• Watch for blank cover pages. Scanned PDFs often have a blank first page or blank page backs. Open the file and note real page positions before typing ranges.

Troubleshooting

"Page 15 is out of range. This PDF has 14 page(s)." You typed a page number higher than the document's page count. Check the total in your PDF viewer.

"Invalid page range" or "Invalid page number". Ranges must go from low to high (3-6, not 6-3), and pages must be whole numbers of 1 or more. Remove spaces around odd characters, and don't use words like "to".

"Enter a page range". The page box is empty. Type at least one page number.

"Could not read this PDF. It may be corrupted or password-protected." Unlock password-protected files in an app that knows the password, if you're permitted to, then extract from the unlocked copy. If the file won't open anywhere, it's probably damaged.

Pages come out blank. Some encrypted files load without an error but can't be read correctly. Again, unlock the original first.

Large file on a phone. Extracting a few pages is light work, but the tool still has to load the whole source PDF into memory. A file close to 50 MB may be slow on low-memory phones.

Other ways to extract pages

• Chrome or Edge. Open the PDF in the browser, choose Print, set the destination to Save as PDF (in Edge, Microsoft Print to PDF also works), and enter custom pages. This is quick for one range, but printing can flatten links and fillable fields.
• macOS Preview. Select page thumbnails in the sidebar and drag them to the desktop or into another PDF.
• Adobe Acrobat. The Organize Pages tool can extract pages, with options to delete them from the original or save each page separately. It's good for heavy, regular use, but it's paid.

Privacy

Extraction runs in your browser using pdf-lib. Your PDF never leaves your device, which matters when the pages you're pulling out are signed contracts, ID scans, or medical records.

Browse all PDF tools in our best free PDF tools online overview.