Split a PDF by content — and name each file from what's actually on the page.
"Split by content" usually means two things people lump together: finding where one document ends and the next begins by matching a repeating value, and then giving each output file a name that reflects that value instead of a generic number. PDF SmartSplit does the first for free, right in this browser tab — and this page walks through exactly where the second one stands today.
No signup. No install. Free for files up to 30 pages.
How to split a PDF by content
Splitting on content means matching a value that repeats once per document — not a fixed page count.
Find the field that repeats
Open two or three documents in the batch and look for a label that shows up once per document — "Invoice #", "Account:", "Employee ID:" are common. That label is what the tool searches for on every page.
Drop your PDF in below
It loads into your browser's memory only — nothing is uploaded. Confirm the split groups pages correctly using the free text-match mode.
Download the zip
Free tier names each output part-01.pdf, part-02.pdf, and so on — the split is content-aware, the filename isn't yet.
pdf.js to read the text and
pdf-lib to assemble each
document's pages into their own file, both running as JavaScript in this page.
Split your PDF by content
Free tier: 1 file at a time, up to 30 pages. Text-layer PDFs only (no scanned/OCR yet).
Drag & drop your combined PDF here, or click to choose
Up to 30 pages · stays on this device
Preview
Split mode
Ready for the filename to match the content?
Pro (in development) adds a pattern you define to pull the actual value out of each page —
not just detect that the label is present — and writes it straight into the output filename, e.g.
INV-1042.pdf
instead of part-03.pdf.
You can define multiple fields and combine them in a template, e.g.
{invoice_no}_{date}.pdf —
plus multi-file batch processing and unlimited pages. One-time $19, no subscription.
Your document never leaves your browser
PDF SmartSplit has no upload endpoint, no server that touches your document, and no account to leak. Open your browser's network tab while you split a file — you'll see it stay quiet. Processing uses pdf.js and pdf-lib running as JavaScript in this tab; the zip is built in memory and handed straight to your browser's download dialog.