KissPDF Split chapters using PDF bookmarks
Use this PDF bookmark splitter to read the saved document outline and create one PDF for each chapter or section without entering page ranges manually.
Separate books, manuals, legal bundles, dissertations, reports, and binders into chapter or section files using the bookmark structure already stored in the PDF.
The bookmark tree and calculated output ranges are visible before the ZIP is created.
Use the document outline as the source of each split point.
Open a PDF containing a document outline, usually linked to its table of contents.
Use level 1 for chapters, level 2 for sections, or level 3 for deeper subsections.
Optionally filter bookmark titles and customize the filename pattern.
Create the PDFs locally and save all results in one ZIP.
Practical guide
Split a PDF by bookmarks online for free with KissPDF. The tool reads the PDF document outline, lets you choose bookmark level 1, 2, or 3, previews the resulting chapter page ranges, names files from bookmark titles, and downloads the separate PDFs in one ZIP.
PDF bookmarks, also called the document outline, point to chapter or section destinations. KissPDF resolves those destinations to physical pages and uses them as split points. This lets you split a PDF into chapters when its table of contents is linked to a saved outline. The tool does not infer chapters from visible page text alone.
Use the optional title filter to select bookmark names such as Chapter, Appendix, or Exhibit. You can enter plain text or a regular expression. The naming template can include the bookmark name, current page number, original filename, or sequence number.
A bookmark can point to a position within a page, but PDF splitting occurs between physical pages. The first output also contains pages before the first matching bookmark so cover and table-of-contents pages are not lost. Enable the extra-page option when text before the next bookmark on its page should remain in the preceding result; adjacent outputs then overlap by one page.
Clear answers based on how this tool actually works.
Choose a PDF containing bookmarks, select the bookmark level, review the calculated filenames and page ranges, then select Split by Bookmarks to download the results.
Level 1 contains top-level chapters. Level 2 contains their child sections, and level 3 contains the next nested level. The tool splits at entries on the exact level selected.
Yes. Enter Chapter in the optional text field. You can also enter a regular expression when a more precise title pattern is required.
Those pages may contain the cover, copyright page, preface, or table of contents. They are assigned to the first result so no pages at the beginning of the document are lost.
It includes the page targeted by the next bookmark in the preceding output as well. This creates a one-page overlap and can preserve content that appears above the next bookmarked section on that page.
No. Bookmark destinations can identify a vertical position, but a PDF file is split at page boundaries. The whole bookmark page stays together.
A visible table of contents is ordinary page content unless the PDF also contains an outline. Add entries with the PDF Bookmarks tool or split by page ranges instead.
Yes, when the table of contents is represented by saved PDF bookmarks. A printed or scanned contents page without bookmark entries cannot provide automatic split points.
No. Bookmark reading, page copying, ZIP creation, and downloads run locally in your browser.