Free tool · PDF · Runs in your browser
Extract pages from a PDF
Short answer
Choose a PDF, type the pages to keep (for example 1-3, 5, 8-) and download a PDF with only those pages, in your browser with no upload. The other pages are not in the new file, not even hidden: we count the page objects in each result and they equal the pages kept.
Nothing is uploaded. The PDF is read and written in your browser. Password-protected PDFs are not supported.
Key takeaways
- Right pages, right text: all 4 extracts matched the source pages in count, page size and text (pdf.js).
- Nothing else inside: the page objects in each result equaled the pages kept, with one catalog (5/5, 10/10, 1/1, 3/3).
- Scans shrink in proportion: 10 of 230 pages gave 146 KB from 12.5 MB (1.2%).
- A big picture keeps the file big: 5 of 85 pages gave 3.70 MB from 4.02 MB, because one JPEG on those pages is 3.63 MB.
- Small pages stay small: one page of the law is 31.8 KB, three pages of the Senate document 121 KB. Speed: 5 to 55 ms.
Measured: four extracts
The size follows what the pages hold: 10 pages of a 12.5 MB scanned report made a 146 KB PDF, one page of a 41 page law 31.8 KB, and the first 5 pages of an 85 page document 3.70 MB, because they include a 3.63 MB picture.
Measured with the tool's own code in Node on six public domain US government PDFs: IRS Forms 1040 and W-9, Public Law 118-5, Senate Document 105-10, House Document 110-50, and a 230 page scanned NASA technical report (12.5 MB). Each result was opened with pdf.js, which compared the page count, every page size and the text of every page with the source pages.
| Document | Pages kept | Original | Extract | Share of original | Time | Text and sizes checked | Page objects in file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House Document 110-50 | 1-5 | 4.02 MB | 3.70 MB | 91.9% | 21 ms | Yes | 5 for 5 pages |
| NASA technical report (scan) | 1-10 | 12.5 MB | 146 KB | 1.2% | 55 ms | Yes | 10 for 10 pages |
| Public Law 118-5 | 5 | 285 KB | 31.8 KB | 11.2% | 5 ms | Yes | 1 for 1 pages |
| Senate Document 105-10 | 11-13 | 3.06 MB | 121 KB | 4.0% | 8 ms | Yes | 3 for 3 pages |
A scan has one image per page, so keeping 10 of 230 pages keeps about 4% of the bytes. A text document keeps the fonts its pages use, and a page with a large picture keeps the picture.
Why a few pages can still be big
The first five pages of the 4.02 MB House document kept 92% of its size. The extract holds 18 streams, and the largest is a JPEG of 3.63 MB on those pages. The one page of the 41 page law (31.8 KB) shows the other side: it uses two small fonts and no pictures.
The first version dragged the rest of the document along
Copying a page can copy everything it points to, and a form box or a signature field points to other pages. In our first tests, extracting page 1 of the 41 page law produced a file with all 41 pages inside it, even though the viewer showed one. That would have made deleting or extracting pages for privacy meaningless. The tool now cuts those pointers and removes what cannot be reached, and every result is checked by counting the page objects in the file.
About the format
A PDF file is a set of numbered objects: pages, fonts, images and the references between them. Operations that copy pages copy the objects they refer to. Wikipedia lists the filters a PDF uses to store data, including FlateDecode (deflate, for text and lossless images) and DCTDecode (JPEG), which is why scanned pages are large and text pages small.
Page ranges
- 1-3 keeps pages 1, 2 and 3.
- 5 keeps page 5 only.
- 8- keeps page 8 to the last page.
- Combine them with commas: 1-3, 5, 8-.
- Pages come out in their original order.
Free tools:Delete pages from a PDFSplit a PDFMerge PDF files
What is kept
The pages, their sizes and their text are kept (checked page by page with pdf.js). Fillable form fields and the document title are not: the 5 page extract of the House document had 0 form fields where the source listed 1.
Extract, delete or split?
| You want | Use | Result |
|---|---|---|
| A few pages from a long PDF | Extract pages | One PDF with only those pages |
| Everything except a few pages | Delete pages | One PDF without those pages |
| The PDF cut into several files | Split | One PDF per range or per N pages |
| Pages from several PDFs in one file | Extract from each, then Merge | One combined PDF |
Extract and delete give the same kind of file; which to use is only a matter of which list is shorter to type.
Worked examples from our tests
- House Document 110-50: pages 1-5 kept, 4.02 MB → 3.70 MB in 21 ms.
- NASA technical report (scan): pages 1-10 kept, 12.5 MB → 146 KB in 55 ms.
- Public Law 118-5: pages 5 kept, 285 KB → 31.8 KB in 5 ms.
- Senate Document 105-10: pages 11-13 kept, 3.06 MB → 121 KB in 8 ms.
Questions people ask
How do I extract pages from a PDF?
Choose the PDF, type the pages to keep, for example 1-3, 5, and press Extract pages.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No.
Are the other pages really gone from the file?
Yes. We count the page objects in each result and they equal the pages kept, with one catalog.
Why is the extract almost as big as the original?
The kept pages hold large content. 5 pages of an 4.02 MB document made 3.70 MB because one picture on them is 3.63 MB.
Why is the extract so small?
In a scanned PDF each page has its own image, so keeping few pages keeps few bytes: 146 KB from 12.5 MB.
Does it keep the page order?
Yes, pages come out in their original order.
Can I take pages from several PDFs?
Extract from each, then merge the results.
Will the text still be selectable?
Yes. The text of every page matched the source in our tests.
What about a password protected PDF?
It is not supported.
Related
Sources and how we checked
- Wikipedia: PDF (filters) (read 2026-10-10)
- PDF.js (Mozilla): the reader used to check every PDF (read 2026-10-10)
Reviewed October 10, 2026. The measurements ran the tool's own code and then opened every PDF with pdf.js and pdf-lib to compare pages, sizes, text and picture bytes. The files and results are in data/seo/hub/evidence/2026-10-10/pdf.