Delete PDF Pages

What is a delete PDF pages tool?

A delete PDF pages tool removes the pages you don't need from a PDF and saves the rest as a new file. This free MavexTech tool shows every page as a thumbnail, so you can see exactly what you are removing. Click pages or type page numbers and ranges, then either delete those pages or keep only those pages. You can also drag pages into a new order and rotate individual pages before downloading.

All processing happens in your browser with pdf.js (thumbnails) and pdf-lib (building the new PDF). Your file is never uploaded.

How to delete pages from a PDF

1. Upload your PDF — click the box or drop the file. Thumbnails of all pages appear in a grid.
2. Choose the mode — "Delete selected pages" removes what you select; "Keep only selected pages" extracts what you select and drops everything else.
3. Select pages — click thumbnails, or type numbers and ranges such as 2, 5-7 and press Select. Selected pages are marked red (delete) or green (keep).
4. Reorder or rotate (optional) — drag a page onto another position or use the arrow buttons; press ↻ to turn a page 90° clockwise.
5. Download — click Download PDF to save yourfile-edited.pdf.

How it works

The tool builds a list of the pages that remain, in the order shown in the grid. The new page count is simply:

pages in new PDF = total pages − selected pages (delete mode), or = selected pages (keep only mode).

Worked example: in a 6-page PDF, typing 2, 5-6 selects pages 2, 5 and 6. (Typing 5-7 shows an error, because page 7 does not exist.) In delete mode the new PDF has 6 − 3 = 3 pages (original pages 1, 3 and 4). In keep only mode it has 3 pages (original pages 2, 5 and 6). An open range like 4- means page 4 to the last page.

The remaining pages are copied with pdf-lib's copyPages, which copies each page's content streams, fonts and images as they are. Nothing is re-rendered or re-compressed, so text stays selectable and quality is unchanged. Rotation is stored as the page's /Rotate value (the existing rotation plus your change), which is also lossless.

Common uses

• Removing blank pages, cover pages or advertisement pages from a scanned document.
• Extracting only the pages you need (for example a single statement month or one chapter) with Keep only mode.
• Removing confidential pages before sharing a report.
• Fixing a scan where pages came out of order or upside down.
• Reducing file size by dropping image-heavy pages you don't need.

Delete pages, split or extract: which to use?

These jobs overlap, so it helps to pick the right one. Delete pages is best when most of the document stays and only a few pages must go, such as a blank page in the middle of a scan. Keep only (extract) is quicker when you need a handful of pages from a long file, for example pages 41 to 44 of a 200-page annual report: type 41-44, switch to Keep only and download a 4-page PDF. Split PDF is the right choice when you want several separate files, such as one PDF per chapter. Because this tool also reorders and rotates, it can replace a full desktop PDF editor for most quick page clean-ups.

Tips

• Use ranges for long documents: 1-3, 10, 15- selects pages 1 to 3, page 10 and page 15 to the end.
• Labels always show the original page number, and #n shows the position in the new file.
• Press Reset order to undo all moves and rotations; Clear removes the selection only.
• To split a PDF into several files, use our Split PDF tool; to combine files, use Merge PDF.

Limitations & notes

Password-protected or encrypted PDFs cannot be edited in the browser; unlock them first. You must keep at least one page. Interactive form fields, bookmarks and links that point to deleted pages may not carry over perfectly, because pages are copied into a fresh document. Very large PDFs (hundreds of pages) take longer to show thumbnails, especially on phones, but you can type ranges and download before every thumbnail has loaded.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete specific pages from a PDF for free?

Upload the PDF, click the pages you want to remove or type them as a range like 2, 5-7, keep the Delete selected pages mode, and click Download PDF.

Does deleting pages reduce the quality of my PDF?

No. The remaining pages are copied as they are, without re-rendering or compression, so text, images and fonts stay identical.

What is the difference between delete and keep only?

Delete removes the selected pages and keeps the rest. Keep only does the opposite: the new PDF contains just the selected pages.

Can I change the page order as well?

Yes. Drag a page onto another position, or use the left and right arrow buttons under each thumbnail. The download follows the order shown.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. Thumbnails and the new PDF are created inside your browser, so your document never leaves your device.

Can I rotate a single page?

Yes. Press the rotate button under a page to turn it 90 degrees clockwise. Press again for 180 or 270 degrees. Other pages are not affected.

Can I delete PDF pages on my phone?

Yes. The tool works in mobile browsers such as Chrome and Safari. Tap pages to select them, use the arrow buttons to reorder, and tap Download PDF.

Related tools

Split PDF · Merge PDF · Rotate PDF · PDF Page Counter · Sign PDF · Image to Text (OCR)