Split a PDF into Chapters Using Its Bookmarks
Cut a PDF into one file per top-level bookmark, each named after its chapter and zipped in reading order.
Free, with no sign-up and no watermark. The file is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
Use the bookmarks (outline) already inside a PDF to cut it into chapters. Each top-level bookmark starts a new file, and the file is named after the bookmark title. Any pages before the first bookmark are saved as "Front matter".
The result is always a ZIP, with files numbered in reading order.
Step by step
- Upload a bookmarked PDF: Books, manuals and reports exported from Word or LaTeX usually have bookmarks.
- Split: Click Split by Bookmarks. No other settings are needed.
- Open the ZIP: Files are named like "01 Introduction.pdf", "02 Getting started.pdf".
- Check the sections: If a chapter looks wrong, the bookmark probably points at the wrong page in the original document.
Handy for
E-books and manuals
Share a single chapter of a long manual without sending the whole thing.
Theses
Send each chapter to a different reviewer.
Board packs
Split a meeting pack into one file per agenda item.
Course material
Turn a full textbook PDF into weekly readings.
Good to know
Only top-level bookmarks are used; sub-sections stay inside their chapter.
If the PDF has no bookmarks, use Split PDF with page ranges instead.
Characters that aren't allowed in file names are removed from titles, and long titles are shortened.
Questions
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and processed by JavaScript running in your browser tab. Nothing is sent to a server, and the result is created on your device.
It says the PDF has no top-level bookmarks — why?
The file has no outline, or its bookmarks don't point at pages. Many scanned PDFs have none.
Are nested bookmarks split too?
No, only the top level. This keeps chapters intact.
Is the content re-rendered?
No. Pages are copied as they are.
More Organise PDF tools
- Cut PDF Pages in Two — Cut every page into left and right or top and bottom halves, so scanned book spreads become single pages.
- Split PDF to a Size Limit — Divide a PDF into consecutive parts that each stay under a size you choose, such as 5 MB for email.
- Compress PDF — Shrink a PDF by downscaling and re-encoding its images, leaving text and fonts intact; can aim for a target size in KB.
- Reorder PDF Pages — Drag page thumbnails to reorder a PDF, rotate or delete single pages, or reverse the whole document.
- Rotate PDF Pages — Turn single pages or all pages in 90° steps and save the new orientation into the file permanently.
- Delete Unwanted Pages from a PDF — Click page thumbnails or type ranges to drop pages, with a scan that marks nearly empty pages for removal.