Donaldson R F
Document & File Automation
Bulk PDF Splitter
Split one large PDF (reports, payslips, statements) into separate files per section, automatically.
The Problem
You've got one huge PDF — a payroll run, a batch of reports — that needs to become dozens of individual files per employee or section, and doing that by hand in a PDF editor takes hours every time.
About this problem
A combined PDF has no inherent record of where one document ends and the next begins. Splitting it automatically means finding something consistent to detect, such as a header text, a name or ID printed on each page, or fixed page counts. When that pattern is reliable, a script can process hundreds of pages in seconds, but each source file needs its own detection rules.
People usually come to this after receiving a monthly payroll, statement or report run as one file that has to go to many different people, and splitting it by hand in an editor has become the most time-consuming part of the job.
What's Included
- A script that splits your PDF based on a pattern you define (page ranges, a marker page, or a name/ID found in the text)
- Sensible automatic file naming based on the content found
- Output delivered as individual files or a ready-to-send ZIP
- A short usage note if you want to run it yourself next time
What's NOT Included
- Splitting PDFs with no consistent pattern to detect splits by (would need a different approach, quoted separately)
- OCR for scanned, non-text PDFs (can be added if needed)
- Ongoing hosting of the tool — this is a script, delivered to you
How It Works
- I examine a sample of your PDF to find a consistent marker, such as a repeated heading, an ID in the text or a regular page count.
- I write a script, usually in Python, that reads the PDF text and decides where each new section starts.
- I name each output file from the content found, such as the person's name or reference number, with a safe fallback for duplicates.
- I run it against your sample and check the page boundaries and file names are correct.
- I package the output as individual files or a ZIP and write short instructions for running it again.
In practice: you buy the service, send over whatever access or details the job needs, I investigate and do the work, and you confirm it's resolved before we call it done.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I split a PDF into separate files automatically?
- If each section has something consistent to detect, such as a name, ID or marker page, a script can split it and name the files for you. I build that script around your document.
- What if my PDF has no consistent pattern?
- Then automatic detection is unreliable and a different approach would be needed, quoted separately.
- Does it work with scanned PDFs?
- Scanned documents with no text layer need OCR first, which is not included but can be added if needed.
- Do I need to run it on my own computer?
- Yes, it is delivered as a script with instructions. I do not host it.
- Will it send the files to people for me?
- No. It splits and names the files. Sending them by email is not included.
- Is my document kept by you?
- I only use your files to build and test the script and do not keep them beyond that.