How to Extract Pages from PDF: The Complete Guide

Picture this: you've got a 300-page financial report, but your meeting is in 10 minutes and you only need to present pages 47 through 52. Or you downloaded a research paper but only need chapter 3 to cite in your own work. Or maybe you received a 20-page contract but only need to sign page 8.

Extracting pages from a PDF is one of those tasks that comes up all the time once you work with PDFs regularly. The good news is it's easy, free, and doesn't require any special software.

What's the Difference Between Extracting and Splitting?

Before we dive in, let's clarify the terms. People often use "extract" and "split" interchangeably, but they're slightly different:

• Extracting means pulling out specific pages you want and creating a new PDF with just those pages. You choose exactly which pages—maybe pages 1, 5, and 7-9.
• Splitting typically means dividing a PDF into multiple files, often automatically. Every page becomes its own file, or every 10 pages, or whatever rule you set.

This guide focuses on extraction—you picking exactly which pages you need.

Method 1: Browser-Based PDF Extractor (Fastest, Most Private)

The easiest way to extract pages is with a browser-based tool that runs on your device. Your files never get uploaded to any server, which means your documents stay completely private.

PeacefulPDF's Extract tool lets you pick exactly which pages you want from any PDF. You select individual pages or specify ranges, and it creates a new PDF with only those pages.

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the extract tool page
2. Drop your PDF file in or click to upload
3. You'll see thumbnails of all the pages
4. Click the pages you want to extract (or type a page range)
5. Click the extract button
6. Download your new PDF with just those pages

This is the best option for most people. It's free, works on any device with a browser, and your files never leave your computer.

Method 2: Using Preview on Mac

If you're on a Mac, you already have everything you need. Preview is built into macOS and handles PDF page extraction nicely.

Here's how to do it:

1. Open your PDF in Preview (double-click the file)
2. Click View in the menu bar and select Thumbnails (or press Option+Command+2)
3. You'll see all your pages in the sidebar
4. Hold Command and click on each page you want to extract
5. Once you've selected all the pages, drag them to your Desktop or a Finder window
6. macOS automatically creates a new PDF with just those pages

That's it. You now have a new PDF with only the pages you selected. The original file is untouched.

Pro tip: You can also use the "Export as PDF" method if you prefer:

1. Select the pages you want (Command+click)
2. Go to File → Export as PDF
3. Choose where to save and give it a name

Method 3: Microsoft Edge on Windows

Windows users have a built-in option through Edge. It's not as elegant as some dedicated tools, but it works.

1. Right-click your PDF and open it with Microsoft Edge
2. Click the printer icon in the toolbar (or press Ctrl+P)
3. In the Pages field, type the specific page numbers you want: "3, 5-7, 12"
4. Change the printer destination to "Save as PDF"
5. Click Save and choose where to put the new file

This essentially "prints" only the pages you specified to a new PDF. It's a quick workaround that doesn't require any additional software.

Method 4: Adobe Acrobat (If You Have It)

If you already pay for Adobe Acrobat Pro, the extraction feature is built in and pretty straightforward.

1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to Tools → Organize Pages
3. You'll see thumbnails of all pages
4. Click on the pages you want to extract (hold Shift for a range, Command/Ctrl for individual pages)
5. Right-click and select "Extract"
6. Choose whether to delete the extracted pages from the original or keep both
7. Save your new PDF

Adobe also lets you extract all pages as separate files if you want to split rather than extract—a handy feature if you need to turn one multi-page PDF into dozens of single-page files.

Method 5: Using Google Drive

Here's one most people don't know about: Google Drive can actually help you extract PDF pages.

1. Upload your PDF to Google Drive
2. Right-click the file and select "Open with → Google Docs"
3. Google will convert each PDF page to a separate page in a Google Doc
4. You can then export each page as its own PDF (File → Download → PDF)

This method is a bit roundabout, but it works when you need something quick and don't want to install any tools. The main downside is that the conversion sometimes messes up formatting, especially with complex layouts.

Extracting Pages from Scanned PDFs

What if your PDF is a scanned document? The extraction methods above still work—you'll still get the pages you want—but you might not be able to edit or select text in the extracted pages since they're essentially images.

If you need to make scanned PDFs searchable or editable, you'd want to use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first. But for simple page extraction, the methods above work fine on scanned documents too.

Common Page Extraction Scenarios

Let me walk through a few real-world situations where page extraction comes in handy:

Scenario 1: The Meeting Shortcut

You have a quarterly report with 50 pages, but your team meeting is in 15 minutes and you only need to present the financial summary (pages 12-15) and the key takeaways (page 45). Instead of scrolling through the whole document during the meeting, extract just those 4 pages into a separate PDF. Much easier to navigate.

Scenario 2: Sharing Just a Chapter

You're collaborating on a large document with multiple chapters, but a colleague only needs to review chapter 3. Extract pages 20-35 (or whatever range that chapter covers) and send them just that section. They get what they need without the extra bulk.

Scenario 3: Pulling Signed Pages

You sent out a contract for signature and received it back with signatures on pages 8 and 12. Extract those two pages to create a quick summary showing exactly where the signatures are—useful for your records or to confirm everything was signed properly.

Scenario 4: Extracting Citations

You're writing a research paper and need to cite a specific section from a 100-page PDF. Instead of sending your reviewer the entire document, extract just the 3 pages that contain the relevant section. Much faster for everyone involved.

How to Specify Page Ranges

Most extraction tools understand page range notation. Here's how to use it:

• Single page: "5" (page 5 only)
• Range: "3-7" (pages 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7)
• Multiple ranges: "1, 5-7, 12" (pages 1, 5, 6, 7, and 12)
• From end: Some tools let you use negative numbers like "-1" for the last page

When specifying ranges, make sure you know how many pages your PDF has. There's nothing more confusing than trying to extract pages 50-60 from a 30-page document.

Tips for Better Page Extraction

• Check page numbers first – Open the PDF and count or check the page numbers before you extract
• Keep originals safe – Always work on a copy if you're not sure, so the original stays intact
• Name your files clearly – Use names like "report_ch3_extracted.pdf" to stay organized
• Consider the file size – If you're extracting just 2 pages from a 500-page file, the new file should be much smaller

What About Protected PDFs?

If a PDF is password-protected, you might not be able to extract pages from it unless you have the password. The protection applies to the content itself, so extraction tools can't work around it.

If you can't extract pages because of protection, you'll need to unlock the PDF first. Check if you have the password, or use an unlock tool to remove the restrictions.