Split PDF

How PDF splitting works

Split PDF lets you separate selected pages, remaining pages, or every page of a PDF into new files. The process runs locally in your browser, so your document stays on your device from start to finish.

When to use this tool

PDF splitting is useful when you need only part of a larger document or want to break one PDF into smaller files. It is commonly used for contracts, reports, invoices, scans, multi-page exports, and page-by-page review files.

• Extract only the signed or relevant pages from a longer agreement.
• Keep selected pages in one PDF and move the rest into another file.
• Turn a scanned document into one PDF per page.
• Prepare smaller PDFs for sharing, approval, printing, or archiving.

Need to move pages into a different order after splitting? Try Reorder PDF pages visually. Need to remove specific pages instead of creating separate output files? Use Delete selected PDF pages manually. Need to combine split files later? Use Merge multiple PDF files into one.

Step-by-step: split a PDF

Splitting a PDF takes just a few steps:

• Add your PDF. Drag and drop a file into the box above, or click to choose from your device.
• Select pages visually. Click the pages you want to keep in the first split file.
• Choose a mode. Leave normal mode on for selected vs remaining pages, or use Split every page.
• Split PDF. Click Split PDF. The tool creates the output locally in your browser.
• Save the result. Download one or more split PDFs to your device.

How page selection works

In standard split mode, pages you leave selected go into the first split PDF. Pages you unselect can go into a second split PDF automatically, as long as any remain. If you switch to Split every page, the tool creates one PDF per page and ignores the selection state.

• Selected pages: saved into the first output PDF.
• Unselected pages: saved into the second output PDF.
• All pages selected: only one output PDF is created.
• No pages selected: the tool asks you to select at least one page.
• Every-page mode: creates one separate PDF for each page.

Privacy, limits and how this tool treats your files

FileYoga is built around a simple rule: your files stay with you. PDF splitting runs locally in your browser, so your PDFs are never uploaded to FileYoga servers.

If you are working with private documents, this setup means you keep control from start to finish.

Tips for best results

• Click through the pages once before splitting to confirm the correct selection.
• Use every-page mode only when you truly need one PDF per page, because it can create many files.
• Let thumbnails finish loading before making lots of selection changes on large PDFs.
• Open the output after saving to confirm the correct pages went into the correct file.
• Compress the split result afterward if any output PDF is still too large.

Troubleshooting

• Split button does nothing: add 1 PDF file first, then select at least 1 page or switch to every-page mode.
• The wrong pages ended up in the first file: review which pages are selected before running the split again.
• No second file was created: if all pages are selected, there are no remaining pages to place in a second PDF.
• Too many output files were created: every-page mode was likely enabled, so switch back to normal split mode if you want fewer files.
• Page thumbnails are slow: large or image-heavy PDFs can take longer to render in the browser.
• Tool freezes or is slow: close heavy tabs or work with a smaller PDF first.
• Error on the PDF: the file may be damaged, encrypted, or unusually complex — re-save it in a desktop PDF app and try again.
• Output file is still large: run the result through Compress PDF afterward if needed.

Frequently asked questions