How to Extract Pages from PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)

This tutorial shows two ways to extract pages from PDFs in Adobe Acrobat. First, we will use Acrobat’s Extract tool. Then, we will use the drag-and-drop method.

Quick Links:

How to Use the Extract Tool to Extract Pages in Adobe Acrobat
How to Use the Drag-and-Drop Method to Extract Pages in Adobe Acrobat

Do you want to split a PDF instead of extracting pages? Check out “How to Split a PDF into Multiple PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac).”

This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Adobe Acrobat DC. These steps also apply to Adobe Acrobat 2020 and Adobe Acrobat 2017. In addition, these steps are similar for PC and Mac users. The few differences between the two systems will be explained within the individual steps.

Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader, doesn’t offer page extraction options.

Important Note: These steps won’t work if the original PDF has security restrictions preventing extraction.

How to Use the Extract Tool to Extract Pages in Adobe Acrobat

Open the PDF from which you want to extract pages.
Select the Tools tab.

Tools tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 1. Tools tab

Select Organize Pages in the Tools Center.

Organize Pages button in the Tools Center in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 2. Organize Pages button

Select Extract in the Organize Pages toolbar.

Extract Button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 3. Extract button

Select the page or pages you want to extract using any of the following methods:

- Enter a page number or page range into the toolbar.

Page range in the Organize Pages toolbar in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 4. Page range

- Select Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, or All Pages from the drop-down menu.

Page extract menu in the Organize Pages toolbar in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 5. Page extraction menu

- Select page thumbnails.
  - To select multiple pages, select the first one you want to extract, and then press and hold the Shift key as you select the last one you want to extract.
  - To select nonconsecutive pages, select the first page you want to extract and then press and hold the Ctrl key on a PC or Command key on a Mac as you select additional pages.
  - Click and drag your mouse to select multiple pages at once.
  - PC users can select Enable multiple page selection to select multiple consecutive or nonconsecutive pages without using the Shift or Ctrl key.

Page thumbnails in the Organize Pages screen — Figure 6. Pages thumbnails

(Optional) Select Delete pages after extraction if you want to remove the extracted pages from the original PDF.

"Delete pages after extraction" option in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 7. “Delete pages after extraction” option

(Optional) Select Extract pages as separate files if you want to save each extracted page as an individual PDF. (Don’t select this option if you want the extracted pages to be saved as one PDF.)

"Extract pages as separate files" option in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 8. “Extract pages as separate files” option

Select the blue Extract button.

Second Extract button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 9. Extract button

Your extraction (or extractions if you selected “Extract pages as separate files” in step 6) will open as a new PDF named “Pages from [Original File Name]” in a new tab or window.

Extracted pages tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 10. Extracted pages tab

(Optional) Select the File tab and then Save As to save your new PDF under a new name following your normal saving process.

How to Use the Drag-and-Drop Method to Extract Pages in Adobe Acrobat

This method is faster than the Extract tool method shown above. However, it offers fewer customization options.

Open the PDF from which you want to extract pages.
Select the Page Thumbnails button. (Select the small triangle on the left side of the screen if you don’t see the Page Thumbnails button.)

Page Thumbnails button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 11. Page Thumbnails button

PC users, select the Restore Down button (see figure 12) to reduce the size of the Adobe Acrobat window so you can see your desktop. Mac users, select the Exit Full Screen button (see figure 13).

You may have to use your cursor to click, hold, and drag the sides of the window to a smaller size.

Restore Down button in the Adobe Acrobat window on a PC — Figure 12. Restore Down button (PC)

Exit Full Screen button in Adobe Acrobat on a Mac — Figure 13. Exit Full Screen button (Mac)

Select the thumbnails for the pages you want to extract.

- To select multiple pages, select the first one you want to extract and then press and hold the Shift key as you select the last one you want to extract.
- To select nonconsecutive pages, select the first page you want to extract and then press and hold the Ctrl key on a PC or Command key on a Mac as you select additional pages.
- Click and drag your mouse to select multiple pages at once.