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Split a PDF into One File per Bookmark

Break a PDF into one file per top-level bookmarked section.

Most tools run entirely on your device

Select a PDF

Click to choose, or drop a file here

You can also paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)

Most tools run entirely on your device

About splitting a PDF by bookmark

A long PDF with a proper bookmark outline — a report with chapters, a manual with sections — already has natural break points built in. This tool uses that existing outline to split the document automatically: one output file per top-level bookmarked section, instead of you having to work out and type the page ranges yourself.

It reads the PDF's bookmark (outline) structure to find where each top-level entry starts, then builds a separate PDF for each section using pdf-lib, entirely in your browser. If the document has no bookmarks, there's nothing for this tool to split on — use Split PDF's manual page-range mode instead, or add an outline first with Add PDF Bookmarks.

Supported files

Accepts a PDF with a bookmark outline. Produces one PDF per top-level bookmarked section, zipped together.

Is my file uploaded?

No. Splitting runs entirely in your browser with pdf-lib — nothing is uploaded.

Common problems

"No bookmarks found"
The PDF doesn't have an outline/bookmark structure — not every PDF does. Use Split PDF's page-range mode instead, or build an outline first with Add PDF Bookmarks.

How to Split PDF by Bookmark

  1. 1

    Add your PDF

    It must have bookmarks.

  2. 2

    Split

    One file is created per top-level bookmarked section.

  3. 3

    Download the zip

    Every section, named after its bookmark.

Split PDF by Bookmark — frequently asked questions

My PDF has no bookmarks — what happens?+

The tool tells you and you should use Split PDF with page ranges instead.

What about nested bookmarks?+

Only the top-level bookmarks are used as split points.

Is there a free way to split a PDF into one file per bookmark?+

Yes — this tool splits by bookmark entirely in your browser, free and with nothing uploaded.

Does it work on a PDF with only one bookmark?+

Yes, though the result is effectively unchanged — bookmark splitting only matters once there are at least two top-level entries.

Do you upload my files to a server?+

No — every tool here processes your files entirely on your device, and nothing is uploaded to a server. The only exception is the AI tools, which send the extracted text (not the file) to Claude to do their work.

Is there a file size limit?+

There's no artificial limit we impose, but since processing happens in your browser, very large files (500+ MB or 1,000+ pages) are limited by your device's memory rather than by us.