All guides

Use PDF page ranges accurately

Select pages with lists, ranges, odd/even and end.

VertexFiles editorial · Updated 6 September 2026

Use the physical page position

Page ranges refer to the page position in the PDF, starting at 1. A printed label on the page can be different. A report might have a cover and contents before printed page 1, so the third physical page may be the one you need. Check thumbnails before selecting a range.

Choose a compact expression

Use 1-3 for the first three pages, 1, 4, 7 for specific pages, or 5-end for page five through the last page. The words odd and even select alternating physical positions. Backwards ranges, zero and out-of-range page numbers are rejected. Repeated page positions are deduplicated by the range parser.

Split groups use semicolons

In custom Split PDF mode, a semicolon separates output groups. For example, 1-2; 3-5 produces two PDFs. Commas within a group select pages for that same file. Download multiple outputs as a ZIP, then open each part to confirm its boundaries.

Deletion must leave a useful result

Delete pages interprets the range as pages to remove. Extract pages interprets it as pages to keep. Confirm that you are using the intended tool. A document cannot have zero pages, so removing every page is rejected.

Open Extract pages