Split a PDF by Its Bookmarks Into Chapters
If a document carries a navigation outline, someone already decided where the chapters start. Splitting by bookmark reuses that decision.
What this tool does
Uses the document's existing bookmarks as cut points, so each chapter becomes a file named after its heading. No page ranges to type.
How it works
Choose the bookmark level to split at, optionally filter to headings containing a word, and download the ZIP. Files are named with [FILENUMBER] and [BOOKMARK_NAME]. If the outline is thin or missing, build one first with Create Bookmarks.
- Choose the PDF, or drag it onto the page.
- Set bookmark level and contains text (optional) — the settings below explain what each one changes.
- Run the tool and download the ZIP.
Settings that decide the result
- Bookmark level — 1 splits at the table of contents' own level, 2 at the sections inside the chapters, and so on.
- Contains text (optional) — Only bookmarks whose title contains this text become split points.
- Include extra page at the end — If you find that sometimes the last paragraphs from a chapter are missing, this adds one extra page at the end of each split document.
- File name pattern — [FILENUMBER] is the part's number, [BOOKMARK_NAME] its bookmark's title and [BASENAME] the document's name.
When to reach for it
- A manual or book has a working outline. Each bookmark becomes one file, named after its heading.
- You need chapters as separate documents. No counting pages by hand.
Questions we get
Does it use the PDF's own bookmarks?
Yes — the tool reads the document's outline and splits at the level you choose, so each chapter or section becomes a file without any manual page counting.
Where it fits
The tools people usually open next to Split by bookmarks:
- Merge PDF — Combine multiple PDFs and images into one document.
- Resize — Change PDF page size and add margins/padding.
- Flip — Mirror PDF pages horizontally or vertically.
Every tool works on a copy, so the original file is never modified. Uploads are stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically two hours after you last open them; nothing is listed, shared or indexed. More on the security page.