The simplest way depends on what tool you're using

Deleting a page from a PDF is straightforward in most document editors, but the exact steps change based on whether you're using free software, paid software, or a web tool. The method also depends on whether you want to keep a copy of the original file — most editors let you delete without saving, so you can undo if you change your mind.

Before you start, make a backup of the original PDF if it contains anything you might need later. Once you delete a page and save the file, that page is gone unless you have another copy.

Key Takeaways

  • Most PDF editors let you right-click a page thumbnail and select delete, or select the page and press the Delete key.
  • Free tools like PDFtk or GIMP work on any computer, but require downloading software; web tools are faster but upload your file to someone else's server.
  • Always save the edited PDF with a new filename so you keep the original file intact.
  • Some editors show pages as thumbnails on the left side, making it straightforward to see which page you're about to remove before you do it.

Deleting a page in Adobe Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro (the paid version) lets you delete pages directly. Open the PDF, click the "Organize Pages" tool on the right side, and the page thumbnails appear on the left. Right-click the page you want to remove and select "Delete". You can select multiple pages at once by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and clicking each one, then delete them together.

Adobe Acrobat Reader (the free version) does not include a delete function — it is read-only. If you have Reader and need to delete pages, you will need to use a different tool or upgrade to Acrobat Pro, which costs around $15 per month or $180 per year depending on your subscription plan.

Deleting a page using free desktop software

PDFtk is a command-line tool that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is free and does not send your file anywhere. read it from pdftk.com, then open your computer's terminal or command prompt and type a command like: pdftk input.pdf cat 1-5 7-end output.pdf. This removes page 6 and keeps pages 1 through 5 and 7 onward. You need to know which page numbers to keep, but the file never leaves your computer.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It handles PDFs by converting each page to an image. Open the PDF, and GIMP asks which pages to import. Import only the pages you want to keep, then export as a new PDF. This method is slower than PDFtk but easier if you are not comfortable with command-line tools.

LibreOffice Draw is part of the free LibreOffice suite. Open the PDF, and pages appear as thumbnails on the left. Right-click the page you want to delete and select "Delete Slide" (or "Delete Page" depending on your version). Save as a new PDF file when you are done.

Deleting a page using web-based tools

Web tools like ilovepdf.com, smallpdf.com, and pdf.io let you upload a PDF, delete pages in your browser, and read the result. The process is usually: upload the file, click the pages you want to remove, and click "Delete". No software to read, and it takes about a minute.

The trade-off is that your PDF file is uploaded to someone else's server. Most of these services say they delete files after a few hours, but you are trusting their privacy policy. If the PDF contains sensitive information — medical records, financial statements, or anything you would not want on a company's server — use desktop software instead. If it is a routine document like a flyer or a form you are editing, a web tool is usually fine.

How to avoid deleting the wrong page

Most PDF editors show page thumbnails (small preview images) on the left side of the screen. Before you delete, look at the thumbnail to confirm it is the page you want to remove. Page numbers are usually printed at the bottom of each thumbnail, so you can double-check you are deleting page 7 and not page 17.

If you are not sure which page to delete, open the PDF in your web browser or a preview tool first and scroll through to find the right one. Write down the page number, then go back to your editor and delete by number.

Saving your edited PDF without losing the original

After you delete the page, use "Save As" instead of "Save". This creates a new file with a different name, leaving your original PDF untouched. For example, if the original is called "contract.pdf", save the edited version as "contract-edited.pdf" or "contract-v2.pdf".

This matters because if you realize later that you deleted the wrong page, or if someone else needs the original file with all pages intact, you still have it. Once you are certain the edited version is correct, you can delete the original file if you want to save disk space.

What to do if the PDF is password-protected

Some PDFs have a password that prevents editing or printing. If you try to delete a page and the editor says the file is protected, you need the password to proceed. If you set the password yourself, enter it when the editor asks. If someone else set it and you do not have the password, you cannot delete pages without removing the protection first.

Some online tools claim to remove PDF passwords, but this only works if the password is a "user password" (which restricts printing and editing). An "owner password" (which restricts opening the file) cannot be removed without the actual password. If you need to edit a password-protected PDF and do not have the password, contact whoever created it and ask them to remove the protection or provide an unprotected copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a page deletion after I save the file?

No. Once you save the edited PDF, the deleted page is gone unless you have a backup of the original file. This is why saving with a new filename is important — it keeps your original file safe. If you delete a page by accident, close the editor without saving and reopen the original file.

What if I want to delete multiple pages at once?

Most editors let you select multiple pages by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and clicking each one, then delete them together. In web tools, you usually click each page you want to remove, and they highlight in a different color. Then click a "Delete" button once to remove all selected pages at the same time.

Does deleting a page reduce the file size?

Usually yes, but not always by much. A page with mostly text might only reduce the file by a few kilobytes. A page with high-resolution images can reduce it by several megabytes. If file size is your main concern, you might also try compressing the PDF instead of deleting pages — tools like Smallpdf or ilovepdf have compression options.

Is it safe to use free web tools with confidential documents?

Free web tools are convenient, but they upload your file to a company's server. If the PDF contains medical records, tax returns, passwords, or anything you would not want shared, use desktop software instead. Desktop tools keep the file on your computer the entire time.

What if the PDF is a scanned image of a document?

Scanned PDFs (where each page is a photo of a paper document) can still be deleted the same way as regular PDFs. The editor does not care whether the page is text or an image — it just removes the page from the file. The result is a smaller PDF with fewer pages.