How it works
The PDF Page Extractor copies a specified range of pages from a source PDF into a new, self-contained PDF document — leaving the original untouched. Use it to isolate a chapter from a large manual, extract a specific contract exhibit, pull the financial statements from an annual report, or split a scanned document into per-topic PDFs.
Range syntax: the page range input accepts comma-separated page numbers and ranges. Examples: - `1-5` — first five pages - `3, 7, 11` — pages 3, 7, and 11 only - `1-3, 10-15, 20` — pages 1 through 3, 10 through 15, and page 20 - Ranges are validated against the document's actual page count — out-of-range values are silently clamped
Page extraction vs splitting: the split PDF tool divides a document into fixed chunks (e.g., every N pages). The extractor is for arbitrary, non-contiguous page selections.
How it works internally: pdf-lib's copyPages() method copies page data — including fonts, images, form XObjects, and annotations — from the source document into a new blank PDFDocument. The copy operation preserves all embedded resources needed to render the selected pages correctly.
Common use cases: - Annual reports: extract pages 45–62 (the financial statements) for the finance team - Contracts: extract the signature page (last page) for a countersignature workflow - Presentations: extract slides 1, 5, 10 to create a highlights version - Legal exhibits: extract exhibits A, B, and C as separate PDFs for filing
Privacy: all extraction runs in the browser using pdf-lib. Your document pages are never uploaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Out-of-range page numbers are silently clamped to the document's actual page count. For example, if the PDF has 20 pages and you enter '1-25', the tool extracts pages 1–20. Individual page numbers beyond the document length (e.g., '50' in a 20-page document) are ignored. The tool shows the total page count after upload so you can build your range correctly.
- Yes. pdf-lib's copyPages() method copies the full page object including all referenced resources: embedded fonts, images, form XObjects, and annotations. The extracted PDF renders identically to the same pages in the original document.
- Yes. The range syntax processes pages in the order you specify, and duplicate page numbers are de-duplicated and sorted ascending. For example, '5, 3, 1' extracts pages 1, 3, and 5 in ascending order — not in the order listed. If you need pages in a custom order, extract them individually and use the PDF Merge tool to combine them in your desired sequence.
- Extraction (this tool) produces a single PDF containing the specified pages — useful for non-contiguous selections (pages 1–3, 15, 42–45). Splitting divides the document into multiple output files — for example, every 10 pages into a separate PDF. Use the Split PDF tool for fixed-interval splitting.