Split PDF for Upload Limits
(One Page One PDF) – 2026 Guide
Your PDF is 10MB but the upload limit is 2MB per file. Or you need each page as a separate PDF for a government form.
You don't need Adobe Acrobat. Split your PDF into individual pages or smaller chunks in seconds. Free, works on any device, no signup. Here's exactly how to do it for email, government portals, job applications, and more.
Why Split a PDF into Separate Pages?
Email attachments
Gmail/Outlook limit 25MB. Split large PDFs into smaller chunks to send via email.
Government portals
UPSC, SSC, RRB need each document separately – photo, signature, certificates.
Job applications
Portals like Naukri limit file sizes. Split portfolio into resume + work samples.
WhatsApp sharing
Large PDFs fail to send. Split into smaller parts that transfer easily.
Step-by-Step: Split PDF into Individual Pages
Find a PDF splitter tool
Open PDFSwift, iLovePDF, Smallpdf, or any PDF splitter. No signup needed.
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop or click to select your multi-page PDF file.
Choose split method
Select 'Split every page' for one PDF per page, or 'Extract pages' for specific ranges.
Configure options
Set naming convention (Page_1.pdf, Document_1.pdf) and output format.
Click Split
Process the file. Takes 10-30 seconds depending on size.
Download
Download individual PDFs as ZIP file or one by one. Done.
Total time: About 30-60 seconds for a 20-page PDF.
📊 Common Upload Limits & Why Split
| Platform | Upload Limit | Why Split? |
|---|---|---|
| Email (Gmail, Outlook) | 25MB total | Large PDFs bounce back. Split into smaller chunks. |
| Government Portals (UPSC, SSC) | 50KB-2MB per file | Each document (photo, signature, form) needs separate upload. |
| Job Portals (Naukri, LinkedIn) | 2-5MB per file | Resumes with portfolios often exceed limits. |
| College Applications | 1-5MB per file | Multiple documents need separate uploads. |
| WhatsApp / Telegram | 100-200MB | Large PDFs fail to send. Split into smaller parts. |
| Bank / Loan Applications | 1-10MB per file | Income docs, statements need individual uploads. |
🔪 Different Ways to Split a PDF
Split every page into separate PDFs
Best for: Creating individual files for each page (e.g., 10 pages = 10 PDFs)
Example: Document with 5 pages → Page1.pdf, Page2.pdf, Page3.pdf, Page4.pdf, Page5.pdf
Extract specific page ranges
Best for: Getting only certain pages as separate files
Example: Pages 1-3 and 5-7 from a 10-page document
Split by file size
Best for: Meeting email size limits (split every 5MB)
Example: 20MB PDF → 4 files of ~5MB each
Split by bookmark/chapter
Best for: Long reports, ebooks with bookmarks
Example: Each chapter becomes its own PDF
📋 Splitting PDFs for Government Exams (UPSC, SSC, RRB)
Typical document list:
📄 Application form
Usually 1-2 pages
📸 Photo
Single image as PDF
✍️ Signature
Single image as PDF
🎓 10th Marksheet
1-2 pages
📚 12th Marksheet
1-2 pages
🎓 Graduation Certificate
1-2 pages
🆔 ID Proof
1-2 pages
💰 Payment Receipt
1 page
How to prepare: Scan all documents separately. If you scanned them together into one PDF, use 'Extract pages' to separate each document. Save with proper names: photo.pdf, signature.pdf, 10th_marksheet.pdf, etc.
📧 Splitting PDFs for Email
Gmail allows 25MB total per email. If your PDF is larger:
Use 'Split by file size' with max 20MB per file. Your 50MB PDF becomes 3 files (~17MB each).
If you don't know file size per page, split every 10-15 pages and check resulting sizes.
Compress PDF first, then split if still too large.
Tip: Send multiple emails if needed, or use cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) and share links.
🛠️ Best Free PDF Splitter Tools
PDFSwift
Browser-based • No upload • Free
Split PDFs locally. Files stay in browser. Split every page or extract ranges. Works on phone.
iLovePDF
Online • Free • No limits
Split by pages, ranges, or extract. Uploads to servers but deletes after.
Smallpdf
Online • 2/day free
Popular. Split every page or custom ranges. Limits free users to 2 tasks/day.
Adobe Acrobat online
Online • Free with account
Adobe's official tool. Needs free account. Reliable splitting.
PDF24
Online • Free • No limits
German tool. No daily limits. Works great.
Preview (Mac)
Built-in • Free • Offline
Use Thumbnails view, select pages, drag to desktop to create new PDFs.
Common Problems and Fixes
Split files are still too large
Compress each split file individually. Use PDF compression tool to reduce size further while keeping quality.
Can't split password-protected PDF
Remove password first using PDF unlocker (requires password). Then split the unprotected file.
Page order got mixed up
Most tools maintain original order. If not, rename files with page numbers before splitting or use 'Extract pages' with exact ranges.
Need to split 100+ pages
Use desktop software like Adobe Acrobat or PDFsam (PDF Split and Merge) for batch processing large files.
Split files won't upload to portal
Check file format – must be PDF. Check file size – might still exceed limit. Compress more or split into even smaller chunks.
Questions People Actually Ask
How do I split a PDF into separate pages for free?
Use free online tools like PDFSwift, iLovePDF, or PDF24. Upload your PDF, select 'Split every page' or 'Extract pages', and download individual PDFs. No signup required, works on phone and computer. Takes about 30 seconds for a 20-page document. For offline splitting on Mac, use Preview (built-in). For Windows, use PDFsam (free desktop app).
What's the best way to split a PDF for email attachments?
If your PDF is too large for email (Gmail limit 25MB), use 'Split by file size' option. Set maximum file size to 20MB or 10MB. The tool automatically splits your PDF into chunks under that size. Alternatively, split every 10-20 pages depending on file size. For a 50MB PDF, splitting into 3 files of ~17MB each usually works. Send multiple emails if needed.
How do I split a PDF for government exam applications?
Most government portals (UPSC, SSC, RRB) require each document separately – photo, signature, 10th marksheet, 12th marksheet, graduation certificate, ID proof, etc. First merge related pages into one PDF per document, then extract each as separate PDF. Name files exactly as required: 'photo.pdf', 'signature.pdf', '10th_marksheet.pdf'. Keep each file under their specified limit (usually 50KB-2MB).
Will splitting a PDF reduce quality?
No, splitting doesn't compress or reduce quality. Each page becomes its own PDF with the same resolution and content as the original. The file size per page stays the same – if your original 10-page PDF is 5MB, each page will be roughly 0.5MB. No quality loss because splitting is just copying pages to new files, not re-encoding.
Can I split a PDF on my phone?
Yes, works on iPhone and Android. Open any online PDF splitter in your mobile browser. Upload from phone storage, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Select split options (every page or custom ranges). Download individual PDFs or ZIP file. Some tools like PDFSwift work entirely in browser – no app download needed. Takes about a minute.
What if I need to split a password-protected PDF?
You need the password first. Use a PDF unlocker tool (requires password) to remove protection, then split the unprotected PDF. Most splitter tools can't open locked PDFs without password entry first. Some tools like Adobe Acrobat allow opening with password and then splitting. Never try to bypass passwords illegally – only split PDFs you own or have permission to edit.
How do I split specific pages only?
Use 'Extract pages' option. Enter page ranges like '1-3,5,7-9'. The tool creates separate PDFs for each range. For example, from a 10-page PDF, '1-3,5,7-9' creates: Pages1-3.pdf, Page5.pdf, Pages7-9.pdf. This is useful for extracting only relevant sections from a long document.
What Actually Matters
- Split every page for one PDF per page (10 pages = 10 files)
- Split by file size for email (Gmail 25MB limit)
- Extract specific ranges for government forms (photo, signature separate)
- No quality loss – splitting just copies pages
- Takes 30-60 seconds for most documents
- Works on phone and computer – no software needed
Split Your PDF Right Now
Upload your PDF. Split every page, extract specific ranges, or split by file size. Free, no signup, works on phone and computer. Files stay private.
Files stay in your browser • No uploads • Free forever