Split
Split PDFs by page range, every-page, every-N, or bookmarks
Four split modes, a visual segmentation bar that shows boundaries before you commit, and output naming patterns that include filename, bookmark title, and page-range variables.
Download Complimentary TrialUnder the hood
Why splitting in batch needs more than "every page"
The shortcut every online PDF tool offers is "split into individual pages." That is rarely what you actually want. A 200-page case file does not become useful as 200 single-page PDFs. A 50-chapter textbook does not become useful as 1,400 single-page PDFs. What you want is split at the right boundaries — sections, chapters, exhibits, page-count thresholds for inbox limits, contiguous ranges that match your downstream workflow.
PDF Batch Editor offers four split modes that map onto the four boundary types that come up in real document sets: arbitrary ranges (you pick), every-page (each page is a unit), every-N (fixed-size chunks), and by-bookmark (the document tells you where to split). All four work in batch — one configuration applied across hundreds of input PDFs — and all four produce output named according to a pattern you control, not a generic output_001.pdf sequence.
The four split modes
Boundaries that match the document, not the page
Custom page ranges
Define exactly the segments you want with the standard syntax: 1-3, 5, 8-12, 15-end. Each segment becomes its own output file. Right when you know the structure of the input and need surgical extraction — pulling specific exhibits from a filing, isolating an appendix, or extracting a signed cover page.
Every page
Each page becomes its own PDF. Useful for routing — an invoice batch where each page is one invoice destined for a different approver, or a payroll PDF where each page is one employee's stub. The {index} and {page_start} variables in the naming pattern produce predictable filenames.
Every N pages
Fixed-size chunks. A 200-page report split with N=20 yields ten 20-page files. Right when the document is uniform — a print run, a catalog, a directory — and you need predictable file sizes for distribution or processing thresholds.
By bookmarks
Each top-level entry in the document outline becomes a split boundary. The bookmark's destination through the next bookmark's destination becomes one output file, named from the bookmark title. Right for textbooks, technical specs, and any document whose structure is already encoded in its outline tree.
Verify before you commit
The visual segmentation bar
A page-range string like 1-3, 5, 8-12, 15-end is fast to type and easy to get wrong by one. The visual segmentation bar is a horizontal strip representing the loaded PDF's pages, with vertical markers at every split boundary the current configuration will produce. Edit the range, change the split mode, swap to bookmark-driven — the markers move in real time. You see what is going to happen before you click execute.
For documents with bookmarks, a tree view next to the bar shows the outline structure. Tick which bookmark levels become split boundaries and the bar updates accordingly. Splitting a 50-chapter textbook into one PDF per chapter is a single configuration: select bookmark mode, target the chapter level, name with {source_name}-{bookmark}.pdf, run.
Output naming
Predictable filenames with variable substitution
Every output file is named according to a template you supply. The available variables:
{source_name} The input PDF's name without extension
{bookmark} The current bookmark title (bookmark mode)
{page_start} First page in the segment (1-based)
{page_end} Last page in the segment (1-based)
{index} Sequential counter, zero-padded
Examples:
{source_name}_part_{index}.pdf Report_part_001.pdf, Report_part_002.pdf
{source_name}-{bookmark}.pdf Spec-Chapter-3.pdf, Spec-Chapter-4.pdf
{source_name}_p{page_start}-{page_end}.pdf Filing_p1-12.pdf, Filing_p13-30.pdf
Characters that are illegal in filenames (/ \ : * ? " < > |) are sanitized automatically. Bookmark titles with leading numbers ("3.4 Implementation") flow through cleanly. Output files land in a subfolder per source PDF when the input is a batch — so 50 input documents producing five splits each leave you with 50 organized subfolders, not 250 files dumped into one directory.
Use Cases
When you need specific pages, fast
Legal Discovery
A paralegal extracts exhibits 3, 7, and 12 from a 200-page filing. Custom range mode with 3, 7, 12 produces three named output files in seconds, no manual page-by-page extraction.
Chapter Distribution
A publisher splits 50 multi-chapter textbooks for individual sale. Bookmark mode with {source_name}-{bookmark}.pdf produces named per-chapter files across the whole catalog in one batch run.
Invoice Routing
Finance receives a 300-page batched invoice export — one invoice per page. Every-page mode with invoice_{index}.pdf separates them; each invoice routes to its approver from a folder watcher downstream.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does split-by-bookmark actually use as the boundary?
Each top-level entry in the document's outline tree becomes a split boundary. The output for one bookmark is the page range from that bookmark's destination through the page just before the next bookmark's destination. Nested child bookmarks travel with their parent into the same output file unless you explicitly target a deeper level.
Can I name the output files using the bookmark titles?
Yes. The output naming pattern accepts variables including {source_name}, {bookmark}, {page_start}, {page_end}, and a numeric {index}. A pattern like {source_name}-{bookmark}.pdf produces files like Annual-Report-2025-Chapter-3.pdf. Characters that are illegal in filenames are sanitized automatically.
How does every-N-pages work for an uneven page count?
Every-N produces equal chunks of N pages each, with the final chunk being the remainder. Splitting a 47-page document with N=10 yields five files: pages 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, and 41-47. The last segment is whatever is left over.
What does the visual segmentation bar show?
A horizontal strip representing the document's pages with vertical markers at each split boundary. As you change split mode or edit page-range values, the markers update in real time so you can see exactly where each output file will start and end before you commit. Particularly useful for verifying ranges in long technical specs.
Can I split hundreds of PDFs with the same configuration?
Yes. Drop a folder, select all files, configure the split once, and run. Each input PDF is split independently using the same rule. Output files are organized per source — typically into per-document subfolders — so a 50-input batch with five splits each produces 250 organized output files in a single pass.
Extract exactly the pages you need
Four split modes, a visual segmentation bar, and naming patterns that match how you actually file documents. Complimentary 14-day trial.
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