pdf tool
Split PDF
A strip of pages with scissors in the gaps. Tap where you want the document to break and the files you are about to get are listed underneath, named, counted and previewed, before you save anything.
Runs on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
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How to use it
- 1
Drop the PDF
Every page is drawn into a strip you can scroll sideways, with a scissors button in each gap.
- 2
Tap where it should break
A cut turns dark and the pages either side pick up different colours, so you can see the sections.
- 3
Check the files you will get
Each one is listed with its name, its page range, an estimated size and the first pages in it.
- 4
Save them
Save all of them with the main button, or save any single one from its own card.
The output files are the thing you are making
A page range typed into a box tells you nothing about what you will end up with. Here the cuts you place are turned straight into a list of files, each with a name, a page count, a range and thumbnails of its first pages, and a line above it that reads like a sentence: six pages become three files of two pages each. Change a cut and the list changes with it. Nothing is built until you press save.
Splitting at bookmarks
If the document has bookmarks, the tool reads them when the file opens and offers one tap to cut at every top level bookmark. The parts then take their section titles into the file names, so you get something like handbook-02-safety.pdf rather than part two. Most tools either hide this behind a paid tier or fail with an error when a document has no bookmarks. Here the offer simply does not appear if there is nothing to split on.
Why several downloads sometimes need permission
Browsers watch for pages that fire off downloads without you asking. Chrome allows the first automatic download, then asks before the second, so a split into five files can produce a prompt. Allowing it is safe here because the files were built on your own device. If you would rather avoid the prompt entirely, use the save button on each file card: those are real taps, so no permission is needed.
Printed page numbers are not file positions
A report with roman numerals at the front, or a scan that starts with a cover sheet, has printed numbers that do not match its position in the file. The strip counts positions and labels each thumbnail with the position, so you can see the page you mean rather than counting. If you are working from what is printed on the page, look at the picture, not the number.
Limits
- Page numbers are positions in the file, which may not match the numbers printed on the pages.
- Bookmarks and form field definitions do not carry into the parts, because each part is built from copied pages.
- Saving several files at once can make the browser ask whether to allow multiple downloads.
- Digital signatures on the source do not carry over.
What it does not do
- It does not put the parts in a zip; each one is saved on its own.
- It does not open password protected files.
- It does not split a single page into halves or a grid.
Questions people ask
How do I split a document into its chapters?
If the file carries bookmarks, a banner appears when it opens offering to cut at every top level bookmark, and the resulting files take their section titles into their names. If no banner appears, the document has no bookmarks to split on, and you can place the cuts yourself on the strip or use a cut every N pages instead.
Why did my browser ask about multiple downloads?
Because saving five files means five downloads that you did not individually click, and browsers ask before allowing that. It is safe to allow: the files were made on your device and nothing was fetched. If you would rather not see the prompt, use the save button on each file card instead, since a real tap counts as your permission.
Do the parts keep the bookmarks?
No. Each part is assembled from copied pages, and the bookmark tree lives in a part of the document that is not copied. The page content, images, rotation and annotations all come across intact. If the source has bookmarks, they are still put to use: their titles become part of the file names when you cut at bookmarks.
What is the difference between this and removing pages?
Splitting keeps everything and distributes it across several files. Removing pages produces one file with fewer pages in it. If you want pages one to three as their own document and do not care about the rest, either tool gets you there, and this one is quicker because you place a cut rather than striking out everything else.
Do the page numbers match what is printed on the page?
Not always. The strip counts positions in the file, so a cover sheet or roman numeral front matter shifts the printed numbers away from those positions. That is why each page in the strip shows its thumbnail as well as its number. Look at the picture to confirm you are cutting in the right place.
Can I split a signed PDF?
You can produce the parts, but the signature will not validate on any of them. A digital signature covers the exact bytes of one file, and each part is a new file. That is inherent to changing a document rather than a limitation here. Sign the parts afterwards if each one needs to stand on its own.
How big a file can it handle?
There is no set limit, only your device memory. Every page is drawn to a thumbnail as the file opens, with a running count so a long document looks busy rather than frozen. Very large scans on a phone are the case most likely to run out of room; the same file usually opens fine on a laptop.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The file is read into memory in this page and every part is written there too. There is no upload, no queue and no server copy, which you can confirm in the network tab: choose a file and watch nothing happen. Closing the tab discards the file and the parts together.
Rebuild this as an editable document
Take what you made here into documents.
Create a document with OneCraftRelated tools
- Merge PDFStack several PDFs, see the merged document before you build it, then save one file. Bookmarks per file, alternating scans, nothing uploaded.
- Remove PDF pagesEvery page on a contact sheet. Tap to strike one out, see what survives, undo anything. Blank scans are found for you. Nothing is uploaded.
- Rotate PDFEach page turns in place as you tap it, and sideways scans are straightened for you. The turn is written into the file, not just the view.
Built with pdf-lib (MIT).
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .