How to Delete a Page in PDF

Remove what you don't need

by
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Writer
Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.
our editorial process
Jennifer Allen
Updated on October 09, 2020
reviewed by
Ryan Perian headshot
Ryan Perian
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
our review board
Article reviewed on Jan 12, 2021
Ryan Perian

What to Know

  • In Chrome, open the file, then click File > Print > Save as PDF > choose the pages you wish to keep > Save. 
  • You can also delete pages of PDFs using Microsoft Word, Preview (Mac) and free PDF editors like Smallpdf. 
  • The methods below won't work on a read-only PDF, or enable you to circumvent password-protected files. 

This article explains how to delete a page in a PDF document using Preview on Mac, Google Chrome, and Smallpdf. The instructions for Microsoft Word are similar to Google Chrome's method. 

How to Delete Pages of a PDF in Google Chrome

There are multiple methods to remove pages from PDF files, but we're focusing on the most general options regardless of the device you're using, and with minimal hassle.

This method requires a PDF editing program. If you use a Mac, you already have one built-in in the form of Preview. Microsoft Word will also work, as well as Google Chrome. Alternatively, you can use a free PDF editor.

  1. Open the PDF file in your PDF editor. 

    We're using Google Chrome in our screenshots to delete pages from PDF files but the steps are similar in other apps.

  2. Click File > Print.

  3. Click Destination and choose Save as PDF.

    Google Chrome with Save as PDF highlighted

  4. Click Pages.

  5. Click Customized.

    Google Chrome with pages highlighted under the print dialog

  6. Type in the pages you wish to keep within the PDF document.

  7. Click Save.

  8. Choose where to save the file then click Save again.

  9. The file is now saved minus the pages you wanted to delete.

How to Remove Single or Multiple Pages Using Preview on macOS

If you regularly use macOS, you already have a PDF editor built-in via Preview. Here's how to remove or delete pages of a PDF document using Preview.

  1. Open the PDF file in Preview.

  2. Click the preview of the page you wish to delete.

    MacOS Preview with a thumbnail of a PDF page highlighted

    If thumbnails aren't displaying, click View > Thumbnails to enable them.

  3. Press Delete on your keyboard. Do this for every page you wish to delete.

  4. Click File > Save to save the file with the page/s removed.

Other Options for PDF Page Removals

Don't want to install new software just to remove pages from a PDF? Fortunately, you can easily delete a page (or multiple pages) from a PDF via an online app like Smallpdf.

This method only allows you to remove pages from two PDFs per day for free, but it's a good short-term solution. 

  1. Go to https://smallpdf.com/delete-pages-from-pdf

  2. Click Choose File.

    Smallpdf website with Choose File highlighted

  3. Hover over the page you wish to delete.

    Smallpdf website with thumbnails of a PDF highlighted

  4. Click the trash can icon.

    Smallpdf with the trash can icon highlighted on a page of a PDF

  5. Click Apply Changes.

    Smallpdf website with Apply Changes highlighted

  6. Click Download to download the file.

Limitations to Deleting Pages From PDFs.

Deleting pages from a PDF document is usually fairly simple but there are some restrictions.

  • These methods won't work on a read-only PDF. If your PDF file has been set to Read-Only, you can't edit it. That means you also can't delete individual pages from it. You'll need to either change the Read-Only settings yourself or ask the creator of the file to change it for you.
  • You still need the password. Are you trying to delete pages from a password protected PDF? You still need to know the password to be able to open the file and delete the relevant pages. 
  • Get permission from the owner of the PDF. PDFs tend to be important documents and it's a sensible idea to gain permission from the creator of the PDF before deleting key parts of it. It's not essential in all cases, but it's simply good manners.
Was this page helpful?