1. Install PyMuPDF

Run this cell first:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Upload your PDF

Import Google Colab's file upload tool and select your PDF:

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

3. Open the PDF

Import PyMuPDF and open the uploaded file:

import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

Note: PyMuPDF uses zero-based page indexing.

Page 1 = index 0

Page 2 = index 1

Page 3 = index 2

4. Select the pages to extract

Specify the pages you want to extract.

For example, this selects pages 1, 3, and 5:

pages = [0, 2, 4]

5. Create a new PDF

Create a new PDF and copy the selected pages into it:

output = pymupdf.open()

for page_number in pages:
  output.insert_pdf(
      doc,
      from_page=page_number,
      to_page=page_number

)

output.save("selected_pages.pdf")

output.close()

doc.close()

6. Download the new PDF

Once the PDF has been created, download it to your computer:

files.download("selected_pages.pdf")

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

pages = [0, 2, 4]

output = pymupdf.open()

for page_number in pages:
  output.insert_pdf(
      doc,
      from_page=page_number,
      to_page=page_number

)

output.save("selected_pages.pdf")

output.close()

doc.close()

files.download("selected_pages.pdf")

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab.

For example, you can split a PDF like this:

• Pages 1–3 → pages_1-3.pdf

• Pages 4–6 → pages_4-6.pdf

• Pages 7–10 → pages_7-10.pdf

1. Install PyMuPDF

First, install the PyMuPDF library:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Import Libraries

Then import the libraries you’ll need:

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

3. Upload Your PDF

The following code opens a file picker so you can upload your PDF:

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

The uploaded file is stored in the variable input_pdf.

4. Create an Output Folder

Next, create an output folder called split_ranges where the individual PDF files will be saved:

output_dir = Path("split_ranges")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

We set exist_ok=True so that Python won't return an error if the folder already exists.

5. Open the PDF

Next, open the uploaded PDF with PyMuPDF:

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

The variable doc now represents the entire PDF document.

6. Define the Page Ranges

Now define the page ranges you want to split from the PDF.

For example, if you want to create PDFs containing pages 1–3, 4–6, and 7–10:

ranges = [
    (1, 3),
    (4, 6),
    (7, 10)
]

The numbers represent the PDF page numbers, starting at 1.

7. Split the PDF into Page Ranges

The following loop goes through every page range. For each range, it creates a new PDF, copies the selected pages into it, saves it, and then closes the new PDF:

for start, end in ranges:

    new_pdf = pymupdf.open()

    new_pdf.insert_pdf(
        doc,
        from_page=start - 1,
        to_page=end - 1
    )

    output_path = output_dir / f"pages_{start}-{end}.pdf"

    new_pdf.save(output_path)
    new_pdf.close()

Here's what happens:

• start is the first page of the range.

• end is the last page of the range.

• start - 1 converts the page number into a zero-based page index.

• end - 1 converts the last page number into a zero-based page index.

• A new empty PDF is created for each range.

• insert_pdf() copies the selected pages into the new PDF.

• save() creates a file such as pages_1-3.pdf.

• close() closes the newly created PDF after it has been saved.

For example, a 10-page PDF with the ranges above will produce:

split_ranges/

├── pages_1-3.pdf

├── pages_4-6.pdf

└── pages_7-10.pdf

The first PDF contains pages 1, 2, and 3.

The second PDF contains pages 4, 5, and 6.

The third PDF contains pages 7, 8, 9, and 10.

8. Close the Original PDF

Once all the page ranges have been processed, close the original PDF:

doc.close()

9. Create a ZIP File

Instead of downloading every PDF individually, you can put all the individual PDFs into a ZIP file:

zip_path = shutil.make_archive(
    "split_ranges",
    "zip",
    output_dir)

files.download(zip_path)

This creates:

split_ranges.zip

and automatically starts the download in Google Colab.

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

output_dir = Path("split_ranges")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

ranges = [
    (1, 3),
    (4, 6),
    (7, 10)
]

for start, end in ranges:

    new_pdf = pymupdf.open()

    new_pdf.insert_pdf(
        doc,
        from_page=start - 1,
        to_page=end - 1
    )

    output_path = output_dir / f"pages_{start}-{end}.pdf"

    new_pdf.save(output_path)
    new_pdf.close()

doc.close()

zip_path = shutil.make_archive(
    "split_ranges",
    "zip",
    output_dir)

files.download(zip_path)

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab.

Install PyMuPDF

First, install the PyMuPDF library:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

Import Libraries

Then import the libraries you’ll need:

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

Upload Your PDF

The following code opens a file picker so you can upload your PDF:

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

The uploaded file is stored in the variable input_pdf.

Create an Output Folder

Next, create an output folder called split_pages where the individual PDF pages will be saved:

output_dir = Path("split_pages")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

We set exist_ok=True so that Python won't return an error if the folder already exists.

Open the PDF

Next, open the uploaded PDF with PyMuPDF:

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

The variable doc now represents the entire PDF document.

Split the PDF into Individual Pages

The following loop goes through every page in the PDF. For each page, it creates a new PDF, copies the current page into it, saves it, and then closes the new PDF:

for i in range(len(doc)):
  new_pdf = pymupdf.open()
  new_pdf.insert_pdf(doc, from_page=i, to_page=i)
  new_pdf.save(output_dir / f"page_{i + 1}.pdf")
  new_pdf.close()

Here's what happens:

• range(len(doc)) generates the page indexes for every page in the PDF.

• i is the page index, starting at 0.

• A new empty PDF is created for each page.

• insert_pdf() copies the current page into the new PDF.

• save() creates a file such as page_1.pdf, page_2.pdf, and so on.

• close() closes the newly created PDF after it has been saved.

For example, a 5-page PDF will produce:

split_pages/

├── page_1.pdf

├── page_2.pdf

├── page_3.pdf

├── page_4.pdf

└── page_5.pdf

Close the Original PDF

Once all the pages have been processed, close the original PDF:

doc.close()

Create a ZIP File

Instead of downloading every PDF individually, you can put all the individual PDFs into a ZIP file:

shutil.make_archive("split_pages", "zip", "split_pages")
files.download("split_pages.zip")

This creates:

split_pages.zip

and automatically starts the download in Google Colab.

Complete Example

%pip install -q pymupdf

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
    raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

output_dir = Path("split_pages")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

for i in range(len(doc)):
    new_pdf = pymupdf.open()
    new_pdf.insert_pdf(doc, from_page=i, to_page=i)
    new_pdf.save(output_dir / f"page_{i + 1}.pdf")
    new_pdf.close()

doc.close()

shutil.make_archive("split_pages", "zip", "split_pages")

files.download("split_pages.zip")

Why Split a PDF into Separate PDFs?

Splitting a PDF into individual pages is useful when you need to:

• Extract specific pages from a larger document.

• Process pages separately.

• Upload individual pages as separate documents.

• Share only certain pages with someone.

• Organize a large PDF into smaller files.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to count the number of pages in a PDF?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Count the Number of Pages in a PDF Using PyMuPDF

Install pymupdf

If pymupdf isn't already installed in your Colab environment, run:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

Import the dependencies

import pymupdf
import json
from google.colab import files

Upload the PDF

uploaded = files.upload()

Open the PDF

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

This opens the PDF so Python can access its information.

Replace "sample.pdf" with the name of your PDF.

Collect the information

The script creates a dictionary containing:

• page_number — the total number of pages

• metadata — information such as the PDF title, author, subject, creator, and creation date

data = {
    "page_number": doc.page_count,
    "metadata": doc.metadata
}

Save the information as JSON

with open("pdf_information.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
    json.dump(data, f, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False)

• "w" — opens the file in write mode, meaning new content is written to the file.

• encoding="utf-8" — specifies UTF-8 character encoding, allowing the file to correctly handle characters from different languages and special characters.

• as f — gives the opened file a short name (f).

• json.dump() —writes Python data to JSON.

• indent=4 — formats the JSON with 4 spaces of indentation, making it easier for humans to read.

• ensure_ascii=False — keeps non-ASCII characters as they are instead of converting them into Unicode escape sequences. For example, é stays as é rather than becoming \u00e9.

• with — automatically closes the JSON file when the block finishes, even if something goes wrong while writing.

Download the JSON file

Because this is running in Google Colab, you can download the generated file directly:

files.download("pdf_information.json")

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

import pymupdf
import json
from google.colab import files

uploaded = files.upload()

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

data = {
    "page_number": doc.page_count,
    "metadata": doc.metadata
}

with open("pdf_information.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
    json.dump(data, f, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False)

files.download("pdf_information.json")

Example Output

The resulting JSON might look like:

{
    "page_number": 4,
    "metadata": {
        "format": "PDF 1.5",
        "title": "Artificial Intelligence (AI) ",
        "author": "PDF Python Hub",
        "subject": "An Overview of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Ethical Frameworks, and Future Outlook",
        "keywords": "Artificial Intelligence, AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative AI, Large Language Models, AI Ethics",
        "creator": "Google Docs",
        "producer": "Skia/PDF m153 Google Docs Renderer",
        "creationDate": "D:20260816101230+02'00'",
        "modDate": "D:20260818145823+02'00'",
        "trapped": "",
        "encryption": null
    }
}

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide:

Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

What does doc.close() do?

doc.close():

• Releases resources and memory associated with the document.

• Closes the document and its underlying resources.

• Makes the Document object unavailable for further document operations.

When should you use it?

• Use doc.close() when you are finished working with a PDF, especially when:

• You created or modified a PDF.

• You are processing many PDFs in a loop.

• You want to make sure the document is no longer being held open.

Important: After calling doc.close(), you can no longer work with the document. Attempting to perform operations on a closed document can raise: ValueError: document closed

If you need to work with the PDF again, you can open it with pymupdf.open():

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

This creates a new Document object that you can work with normally.

Should you save the PDF document before closing it?

If you've modified the PDF, make sure you save your changes to a new file before closing the document.

For example:

doc.save("modified.pdf")

If you close a modified document without saving it, your changes may be lost.

doc.close() does not save your changes.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide:

Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

metadata = doc.metadata

PyMuPDF is a Python library for working with PDF files.

What does doc.metadata mean?

doc.metadata contains additional information about the PDF document, rather than the PDF document’s main text.

It might contain information such as:

• format

• title

• author

• creator

Store the metadata

metadata = doc.metadata

This takes the metadata associated with doc and stores it in a variable called metadata.

Print the metadata

print(metadata)

This displays the metadata:

{'format': 'PDF 1.5', 'title': 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) ', 'author': 'PDF Python Hub', 'subject': 'An Overview of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Ethical Frameworks, and Future Outlook', 'keywords': 'Artificial Intelligence, AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative AI, Large Language Models, AI Ethics', 'creator': 'Google Docs', 'producer': 'Skia/PDF m153 Google Docs Renderer', 'creationDate': "D:20260816101230+02'00'", 'modDate': "D:20260818145823+02'00'", 'trapped': '', 'encryption': None}

You can then access individual pieces of information:

print(metadata["author"])

print(metadata["creationDate"])

Complete Example

metadata = doc.metadata

print(metadata)

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide:

Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

Using page_count

page_number = doc.page_count
print(page_number)

The page_count property returns the total number of pages in the PDF.

Here, the number of pages is stored in the variable page_number, and print() displays it.

For example, if the PDF contains 44 pages, the output will be:

44

Using len()

You can also use Python's built-in len() function:

len(doc)

This returns the total number of pages in the PDF as well.

For example:

print(len(doc))

Example Output:

44

Key takeaway

Both approaches give you the number of pages:

doc.page_count

or

len(doc)

Complete Example

# Method 1

page_number = doc.page_count
print(page_number)

# Method 2

print(len(doc))

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide:

Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

How it works

1. Import the file-upload tool

from google.colab import files

This imports Colab’s files module, which provides functions for uploading and downloading files in Google Colab.

2. Open the upload window

uploaded = files.upload()

When this line runs, Colab displays a Choose Files button. You can select one or more files from your computer.

The uploaded file(s) are stored in the uploaded variable as a dictionary.

For example, if you select a PDF, Colab uploads it to the notebook environment and stores its information in the uploaded variable.

3. Check the filename(s)

uploaded.keys()

Complete Example

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()
uploaded.keys()

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide:

Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

• %pip runs pip directly from a Jupyter Notebook or Google Colab cell.

• install tells pip to install a package.

• -U (or --upgrade) updates PyMuPDF if an older version is already installed.

• -q (or --quiet) reduces the amount of installation output.

• pymupdf is the package name.

2. Import PyMuPDF

import pymupdf

This makes the PyMuPDF library available in your Python code.

3. Check the Installed Version

print(pymupdf.__version__)

This prints the version of PyMuPDF currently installed.

You should see output similar to:

1.x.x

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

import pymupdf

print(pymupdf.__version__)

The exact version will depend on the latest version available when you run the installation.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to upload files in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide:

Uploading Files in Google Colab

Import PyMuPDF

import pymupdf

This imports the PyMuPDF library and makes its PDF tools available in your Python program.

Open the PDF

pymupdf.open() opens the PDF file named sample.pdf. The returned document is stored in the variable doc, which you can then use to access the PDF's pages and content.

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

Complete Example

import pymupdf

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

In short: import pymupdf loads the library, whilepymupdf.open("sample.pdf") opens the PDF and stores it in doc for further processing.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to install the pymupdf package?

Check out this mini-guide:

How to Install PyMuPDF in Google Colab