How to Extract Pages From a PDF Document

The fastest way depends on what tool you already have

You can extract pages from a PDF in three ways: using built-in features in your operating system, using free online tools, or using desktop software. The method that works fastest for you depends on whether you need to do this once or regularly, how many PDFs you handle, and whether you want the extracted pages as a new PDF or in another format.

If you have a Mac, Preview (the built-in image viewer) can extract pages in seconds. On Windows, Microsoft Edge and Adobe Acrobat Reader both have extraction features. If you prefer not to install anything, a free online tool like Smallpdf or ILovePDF works in a browser — you upload the PDF, select which pages you want, and read the result. For people who extract pages from PDFs multiple times a week, a dedicated tool like Adobe Acrobat Pro or the free open-source software PDFtk makes the process faster and more reliable.

Key Takeaways

Mac users can extract pages using Preview without installing anything — open the PDF, select pages in the sidebar, and export them as a new file.
Windows users can extract pages in Microsoft Edge by opening the PDF, using the annotation tools to select pages, and saving them separately.
Free online tools like Smallpdf and ILovePDF work on any device but require uploading your file to the internet, which is not safe for sensitive documents.
Desktop software like Adobe Acrobat Pro and PDFtk handle batch extraction (multiple PDFs at once) and let you automate the process if you do it regularly.
The extracted pages become a new PDF file that you can rename, move, or share independently from the original.

Extracting pages on Mac using Preview

Open the PDF in Preview (the default app when you double-click a PDF on Mac). On the left side, you will see a sidebar showing thumbnails of every page. Click the first page you want to extract, then hold Shift and click the last page in the range you want. If you need non-consecutive pages, hold Command and click each page individually.

Once you have selected the pages, go to File > Export. Choose a location to save the file, give it a name, and make sure the format is set to PDF. Click Save. Preview creates a new PDF containing only the pages you selected, leaving the original file untouched.

If the sidebar is not visible, go to Tools > Sidebar or press Shift-Command-D to turn it on. This method works for PDFs of any size and does not require internet or additional software.

Extracting pages on Windows using Microsoft Edge

Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge (the default browser on Windows 10 and later). At the top of the window, click the three-dot menu and select "Print" or press Ctrl+P. In the print dialog, look for a dropdown that says "Print to PDF" or "Microsoft Print to PDF" and select it.

In the Pages field, type the page numbers you want to extract. For a single page, type "5". For a range, type "5-10". For non-consecutive pages, type "5,7,9". Then click Print and choose where to save the new PDF file.

This method creates a new PDF with only the pages you specified. If you prefer not to use the print dialog, Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) also lets you right-click pages in the sidebar and delete the ones you do not want, then save the result as a new file — but this is slower if you are extracting only a few pages from a large document.

Using free online tools for quick extraction

Smallpdf, ILovePDF, and PDF.io all work the same way: you go to their website, click an upload button, select your PDF, and then click on the pages you want to keep. The tool highlights selected pages in green. Once you have chosen your pages, click Extract or read, and the new PDF appears in your downloads folder.

These tools are fast and require no installation, but they upload your file to a server on the internet. If your PDF contains sensitive information — medical records, financial statements, legal documents, or anything you would not want stored on someone else's computer — do not use an online tool. Use Preview on Mac or the print-to-PDF method on Windows instead.

Online tools also have file size limits, usually between 50 and 500 megabytes. If your PDF is larger, or if you need to extract pages from dozens of PDFs, a desktop tool is more practical.

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro for regular extraction

If you extract pages from PDFs several times a week, Adobe Acrobat Pro (a paid subscription) is worth considering. Open the PDF, go to Tools > Organize Pages, and you will see a thumbnail view of every page. Right-click the pages you want to keep and select "Extract". Acrobat creates a new PDF with only those pages and opens it in a new window.

Acrobat Pro also lets you delete pages instead of extracting them, which is faster if you want to remove a few pages from the middle of a document rather than pull out a few from the beginning and end. You can also batch-process multiple PDFs at once using Actions, which automates extraction across dozens of files if you follow the same pattern repeatedly.

The subscription costs around $15 per month or $180 per year. If you only extract pages occasionally, the free methods above are sufficient. If you also need to edit PDFs, add signatures, or convert between formats regularly, the subscription pays for itself in time saved.

Using PDFtk for command-line extraction

PDFtk is free, open-source software that runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It is more powerful than Preview or Edge but requires typing commands in a terminal window rather than clicking buttons. If you are comfortable with a command line, PDFtk is fast and handles large batches of files.

To extract pages 5 through 10 from a file called "document.pdf" and save them as "extracted.pdf", you would type: pdftk document.pdf cat 5-10 output extracted.pdf. To extract non-consecutive pages (5, 7, and 9), type: pdftk document.pdf cat 5 7 9 output extracted.pdf.

You can read PDFtk from pdftk.com. Installation takes a few minutes. Once installed, you navigate to the folder containing your PDFs in the terminal and run the commands above. For people who extract pages from dozens of PDFs in the same way each week, PDFtk can be scripted to run automatically, saving hours of manual work.

What happens to the original file

No matter which method you use, the original PDF stays unchanged. Extraction creates a new file. The new file contains only the pages you selected and has a separate name and location. You can rename it, move it to a different folder, or delete it without affecting the original.

If you want to keep both files, give them different names — for example, "contract-full.pdf" and "contract-pages-1-5.pdf". If you only need the extracted pages and want to delete the original, make sure the extraction worked first by opening the new file and checking that all the pages you wanted are there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I extract pages and keep them in a different format, like Word or Excel?

Most extraction tools create a new PDF. To convert the extracted pages to Word or Excel, you need a separate conversion tool. Some online tools like Smallpdf offer both extraction and conversion in one place, but again, this means uploading your file to the internet. For sensitive documents, extract the pages first using a local tool, then convert the new PDF using desktop software or an online converter.

What if my PDF is password-protected?

If the PDF is locked with a password, you must enter the password before you can extract pages. Most tools will ask for it when you open the file. If you do not know the password, you cannot extract pages without removing the protection first, which requires specialized software and may violate copyright or licensing terms.

Does extracting pages reduce the file size?

Yes. A PDF with 100 pages that is 10 megabytes will be smaller when you extract only 10 pages — usually around 1 megabyte, though the exact size depends on the content and compression. Extracting pages is a good way to create smaller files for emailing or sharing.

Can I extract pages from a scanned PDF?

Yes. Scanned PDFs (images of printed pages) can be extracted the same way as text-based PDFs. The extraction tools do not care whether the PDF contains searchable text or images — they straightforward copy the pages you select into a new file.

What if I want to rearrange pages while extracting?

Most extraction tools create a new PDF in the same order as the original. To rearrange pages, use the Organize Pages feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro, or use an online tool like Smallpdf that lets you drag pages into a new order before extracting. PDFtk can also rearrange pages if you list them in a different order in the command.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.