Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Rearrange and Delete Pages in PDFs in Adobe Acrobat

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This tutorial explains how to rearrange and delete pages from PDFs in Adobe Acrobat.

First, we will quickly check for security restrictions that may prevent you from rearranging or deleting pages. Then, we will open the Organize Pages tool. Next, we will rearrange pages. Lastly, we will delete one page or multiple pages.

Table of Contents

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These steps apply to the current desktop version of Adobe Acrobat for PC and Mac. These steps do not apply to the older, non-subscription versions of Acrobat or Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader.

How to Check for Security Restrictions

If your PDF is restricted, you may not be able to rearrange or delete pages. Therefore, you may want to check for restrictions before starting this process.

  1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Select Menu (PC) or File (Mac).
  3. Select Document Properties from the drop-down menu.
  4. Select the Security tab in the Document Properties dialog box, if it is not already selected.
  5. Review the Security Method and Document Restrictions Summary sections.
  6. Select the OK button.

How to Open the Organize Pages Tool

  1. Select All tools in the global toolbar.
  2. Select Organize Pages in the All tools pane.

The Organize Pages tool should open and show thumbnails for every page in your document.

Pro Tip: The Organize Pages tool is also available in the Edit pane, which is accessible from the global toolbar.

How to Rearrange (Reorder) Pages

You can move pages individually or move multiple pages at once.

Move Individual Pages

  1. Click, hold, and drag the page thumbnail you want to move to its new location in the thumbnail grid.
  2. Release your mouse or trackpad when you see the placement indicator (vertical blue line) in the correct location.

Move Multiple Pages at Once

  1. Select the first page thumbnail, hold the Shift key, and then select the last page thumbnail to select a consecutive range.

Alternatively, hold the Ctrl key (PC) or Command key (Mac) while selecting nonconsecutive pages.

  1. Click, hold, and drag one of the selected thumbnails to move the entire selection to a new location.
  2. Release your mouse or trackpad when you see the placement indicator in the correct location.

How to Delete Pages

  1. Select the page thumbnail you want to delete.

Hold the Shift key to select a consecutive page range. Or, hold the Ctrl key (PC) or Command key (Mac) to select nonconsecutive pages.

  1. Select Delete (trash can icon).
  2. Select the OK button in the dialog box confirming the deletion.
Pro Tip: If you only want to delete one page, you can also right-click (PC) or Control-click (Mac) the page itself when the Edit pane is closed, and then select Delete page from the shortcut menu.
  1. Scroll through the page thumbnails (and the document itself) to make sure the pages are in the correct order and the unwanted pages are gone before saving the PDF.

Related Resources

How to Extract Pages from PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (Updated Interface)

How to Crop Pages in Adobe Acrobat (Updated Interface)

How to Add Blank Pages in Adobe Acrobat (Updated Interface)