How to split a PDF by chapters
A book, manual or long set of notes in a single PDF is awkward to read, print in parts or share. What you usually want is one file per chapter, named after it.
Shinobi.pdf reads the PDF’s table of contents (its bookmarks) and builds the chapters for you. If the PDF has no bookmarks, you can enter them by hand with the first and last page of each one.
Step by step
Open the PDF
Drop the file onto the Shinobi.pdf window or use “Choose file”. You can also right-click the PDF in File Explorer and pick “Split with Shinobi.pdf”.
Choose the “Chapters” mode
If the PDF has bookmarks, the chapters show up already filled in with their names and pages, each with its own color in the thumbnails.
Check or tweak the chapters
Rename them, change their first and last pages, remove the ones you don’t need or add new chapters if the PDF had no bookmarks.
Pick the options
“Number” adds 01_, 02_… so the files stay in order. “Bookmarks” keeps the table of contents inside each file. “Compress” makes the files smaller without losing quality.
Click “Split PDF”
Choose the destination folder and you’re done: one PDF per chapter, named after it.
Tips
- Shinobi.pdf uses the top level of the table of contents. If that level is just the book title, it moves down to the next one: the chapters.
- With “Batch” you can split several books at once with the same settings.
- If the PDF has no bookmarks but every chapter starts with the same heading (like “Chapter”), try the “Text” mode: it starts a new file on every page containing that text.
Frequently asked questions
What if the PDF has no table of contents?
Enter the chapters by hand with their names and pages, or use the “Text” mode to split on every page that contains a word like “Chapter”.
Does splitting reduce quality?
No. Pages are copied as they are, without re-compressing images or text.
Does it work with password-protected PDFs?
Yes, if you know the password: Shinobi.pdf asks for it when you open the file.
