To turn one long PDF into several smaller PDFs, use a split. To build one new PDF from a few chosen pages, use an extract. The two are different operations. Splitting applies a rule across the whole document and produces multiple outputs. Extracting copies only the pages you select. Adobe Acrobat handles both on the desktop, PDFsam Basic is a free desktop option for both, and Acrobat’s web tools cover both with cloud storage. The steps below follow Adobe’s and PDFsam’s published documentation as checked on 7 October 2026. Menu labels can change between releases, so compare them with what you see on screen.
Choose split or extract first
Before opening any tool, decide what the output should look like. If you want every part of the document in its own file, you need a split. If you want one file containing only certain pages, or one file per chosen page, you need an extract.
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| Your goal | Operation | Documented routes |
|---|---|---|
| Equal-sized chunks, such as every 20 pages | Split | Acrobat desktop, split by number of pages; PDFsam Basic, every n pages |
| Chunks under a size limit | Split | Acrobat desktop, split by file size; PDFsam Basic, target file size |
| One file per bookmarked section | Split | Acrobat desktop, split by top-level bookmarks; PDFsam Basic, bookmark level |
| One new PDF containing a few chosen pages | Extract | Acrobat desktop, Extract pages; PDFsam Basic, page numbers and ranges |
| One file for each chosen page | Extract | Acrobat desktop, Extract pages as separate files; PDFsam Basic, one output per selected range |
| Browser only, with cloud storage acceptable | Split or extract | Acrobat web tools, which save results to Adobe cloud storage |
| Processing kept on your own computer | Split or extract | PDFsam Basic, which its publisher says processes files locally |
Split a PDF in Acrobat desktop
Acrobat’s split tool is inside the Organize pages set of tools. Use these steps:
- Open the PDF in Acrobat desktop.
- Choose All tools > Organize pages.
- Select Split.
- Choose how to divide the document: by maximum number of pages, by file size, or by top-level bookmarks.
- Set the output options. You can select a destination folder and a naming convention for the new files.
- To process several PDFs at once, add them to the batch before starting. Then check the destination folder for each output.
Split by number of pages
Choose this when every output should contain the same number of pages. For example, a 120-page manual split at 20 pages per file would produce six PDFs of 20 pages each. It is the most predictable rule because the page count of each output is fixed.
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Split by file size
Choose this when the limit is file size, such as a maximum attachment size for email or a portal upload limit. Acrobat uses the maximum you set as the rule for each output. File size depends on images, fonts, and embedded content, so check the results rather than assuming an equal page count per file.
Split by top-level bookmarks
Choose this when the PDF already has a bookmark structure and you want one file per top-level section. The rule works from bookmarks, not from visual headings. A report whose chapters look like chapters but have no bookmarks gives Acrobat nothing to split on, so use a page-count split or the extract workflow instead.
Extract selected pages in Acrobat desktop
Extraction keeps the pages you choose and leaves the rest of the document alone. To extract pages:
- Open the PDF and choose All tools > Organize pages.
- Select Extract pages.
- Choose the pages to extract.
- Decide what happens to the original. Adobe documents three options: keep the original pages, delete the pages from the original after extraction, or select Extract pages as separate files.
One new PDF or one file per page
Without the separate-files option, the extracted pages form a single new PDF. With it, each selected page becomes its own PDF. Use the separate-files option for a set of individual forms, certificates, or slides that will be sent or filed one at a time.
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What extraction does not carry over
- Bookmarks and article threads associated with the pages are not extracted, according to Adobe. If the new file needs navigation, add it again in the new file.
- Restrictions: if extraction is blocked or the pages cannot be edited, open the document’s Security tab to see which restrictions apply. A permission setting on the original can stop the operation regardless of which tool you use.
Split and extract with PDFsam Basic
PDFsam Basic is a free, open-source desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, according to its publisher. It has a split feature and an extraction feature, which covers the same two jobs described above.
PDFsam’s product page states: “Everything runs locally so your files are never uploaded and no internet connection is needed.” That is the publisher’s own statement about its software. It has not been independently verified here. If your files are confidential, treat that claim as the vendor’s commitment and check it against your own requirements.
Split modes
- Individual pages, producing one file per page.
- Chosen page numbers, dividing the document at the points you specify.
- Every n pages, a fixed page interval.
- Target file size.
- Bookmark level, producing one file for each bookmark at the chosen level.
Extract selected pages
The extraction feature accepts specific page numbers and ranges. Open-ended ranges are supported, and a range can run to last, meaning the final page of the document. Each selected range can be written to a separate output file, which is useful when one document contains several distinct sections you want to keep apart.
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Use Acrobat on the web
Adobe’s web tools run in a browser and save results to Adobe cloud storage. That means the file is uploaded to Adobe before processing. For many public documents this is convenient. For sensitive contracts, medical records, or unpublished material, use the desktop routes above so the file is not uploaded.
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Extract pages on the web
Upload the PDF, select the pages you want, and save the extracted PDF to Adobe cloud storage.
Split on the web
- Upload the PDF and choose Edit > Split a PDF.
- Click the divider positions between the page thumbnails to set your split points.
- Continue to the next step.
- Save the resulting files to Adobe cloud storage.
Adobe says this workflow allows up to 22 divider lines. That is a limit of the described web workflow, not of Acrobat as a whole.
Limits of this guidance
- The steps describe the documented workflows. They were not tested on every operating system, PDF type, or Acrobat release.
- Whether a built-in viewer on Windows, macOS, or Linux can split or extract pages is not established here, so this guide does not recommend one.
- Whether a particular PDF allows splitting or extraction depends on its security settings, which can only be read from the file itself.
Keep a copy of the original file before you split or extract. Each route creates new files, and checking page counts in the outputs against the source takes a minute and catches most mistakes.
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