How to Remove Pages from a PDF (3 Easy Ways)

You've got a PDF. It's mostly fine. But there are a few pages that need to go.

Maybe it's a report with a blank page someone accidentally left in. Maybe it's a scanned document where page 4 came out sideways and unreadable. Maybe you're sending a proposal to a client and need to strip out the internal pricing notes before they see it.

Whatever the reason, you need to delete pages from a PDF. And ideally, you'd like to do it without paying Adobe $22/month or downloading software that'll sit unused on your hard drive for the next three years.

Good news: it's easier than you think. Here are three ways to remove pages from a PDF, ranked from simplest to most hands-on.

---

Method 1: Use an Online PDF Editor (Fastest)

This is the no-friction approach. Open a browser, upload your file, delete the pages, download the result. Done in under a minute.

How to do it with OnlyDocs:

1. Go to onlydocs.net
2. Upload your PDF (drag and drop or click to browse)
3. You'll see a thumbnail view of every page in your document
4. Click on the page you want to remove
5. Hit the delete key or click the trash icon
6. Repeat for any other pages you want gone
7. Download your updated PDF

That's it. No account required for basic edits, no watermarks on exports, and your file never gets stored on anyone's server.

When this works best:

• Quick one-off edits (removing 1-5 pages)
• You don't want to install anything
• You're on a shared or work computer
• You need to do it from your phone or tablet

Watch out for:

Some online tools add watermarks, require signups, or limit you to files under 10MB. OnlyDocs doesn't have those restrictions on basic operations, but it's worth checking if you're using a different tool.

---

Method 2: Use Your Browser's Print Dialog (No Tools Needed)

Here's a trick most people don't know: you can "print" a PDF to a new PDF, choosing only the pages you want to keep. It's not technically removing pages — it's creating a new file without them. Same result.

How to do it:

1. Open the PDF in Chrome, Edge, or any browser
2. Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac)
3. Set the destination to "Save as PDF"
4. Under Pages, switch from "All" to "Custom"
5. Type the page ranges you want to keep (e.g., 1-3, 5-12 to skip page 4)
6. Click Save

When this works best:

• You're removing pages from the middle or end of a document
• You don't want to upload your file anywhere (privacy-sensitive documents)
• You're offline or have limited internet

The downsides:

• You have to manually figure out which pages to keep, not which to remove. If you're deleting pages 7, 14, and 31 from a 50-page document, the page range string gets annoying fast.
• This method can sometimes alter formatting, especially with complex layouts, headers/footers, or interactive form fields.
• Hyperlinks inside the PDF usually break.
• No undo — you'll want to keep the original file just in case.

---

Method 3: Use a Desktop App (For Heavy Lifting)

If you regularly work with large PDFs or need precise control over page manipulation, a desktop app makes sense. Here are the main options:

Preview (Mac — Free, Built-in)

Mac users have it easy here. Preview is genuinely good at this.

1. Open the PDF in Preview
2. Go to View → Thumbnails (or press Cmd+Opt+2)
3. Click on the page you want to remove in the sidebar
4. Press Delete
5. Save the file (Cmd+S)

You can select multiple pages by holding Cmd and clicking each one. Preview preserves links, form fields, and formatting.

Adobe Acrobat (Paid)

Acrobat is the gold standard, but it costs $22.99/month for the Pro plan. If you already pay for it:

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat
2. Go to Tools → Organize Pages
3. Hover over a page thumbnail and click the trash icon
4. Save

Free Desktop Alternatives

• PDF Arranger (Linux/Windows) — lightweight, drag-and-drop page management
• PDFsam Basic (Windows/Mac/Linux) — free and open source, great for splitting and merging
• Foxit PDF Editor — free tier handles basic page removal

---

Which Method Should You Pick?

Here's a quick decision tree:

"I just need to delete a couple pages real quick." → Use Method 1 (online editor). Fastest path from problem to solution.

"This document is confidential and I don't want to upload it." → Use Method 2 (print dialog) or Method 3 (desktop app). Everything stays on your machine.

"I do this kind of thing all the time." → Use Method 3 (desktop app) if you want offline power, or bookmark OnlyDocs for quick browser-based edits without installs.

"I'm on my phone." → Method 1 is your only realistic option. OnlyDocs works on mobile browsers.

---

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Always keep a backup

Before you delete pages from any PDF, save a copy of the original. This seems obvious, but I've seen people delete the wrong page, save over the original, and lose content they needed. Five seconds of copying the file can save an hour of pain.

Check the page count after

Quick sanity check: open the new PDF and verify the page count matches what you expected. If your 20-page document should now be 17 pages, make sure it's actually 17. Catching mistakes early is way easier than tracking them down later.

Watch for cross-references

Some PDFs have a table of contents, index, or page number references that won't automatically update when you delete pages. If you're removing pages from a formal document (thesis, manual, legal filing), you might need to update these manually.

File size might not change much

Removing a few text-only pages from a PDF won't dramatically reduce the file size. Most of the weight in a PDF comes from embedded images, fonts, and metadata. If you're trying to shrink a file, you'll get better results from compressing the PDF directly.

---

FAQ

Can I undo a page deletion? In most online editors (including OnlyDocs), yes — just use Ctrl+Z before you download. Once you've saved and closed the file, you'd need to go back to your original copy.

Will removing pages break my PDF's bookmarks? It depends on the tool. Browser print-to-PDF will strip bookmarks entirely. OnlyDocs and most dedicated PDF editors will preserve them (adjusting page references where possible).

Can I remove pages from a password-protected PDF? You'll need to enter the password first. No tool can bypass PDF encryption — if you don't have the password, you can't edit the file.

Is it safe to upload my PDF to an online editor? Reputable tools process your file in the browser or delete server-side files immediately after processing. OnlyDocs processes everything client-side — your PDF never leaves your browser.

---

Wrapping Up

Removing pages from a PDF shouldn't require a computer science degree or a monthly subscription. Whether you use an online editor, your browser's print trick, or a desktop app, the whole thing should take less than a minute.

If you want the fastest, no-install option, give OnlyDocs a try. Upload your PDF, delete what you don't need, and download the result. Free, no signup, no watermarks.

📄 Try OnlyDocs free → — Edit, merge, split, sign, and organize PDFs right in your browser. No installs, no subscriptions required.