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PPDF123

Split a Scanned PDF at QR Divider Sheets

Auto Split PDF cuts a scanned batch into separate documents at divider sheets that carry a QR code whose text is exactly https://pdf123.xyz, then returns the parts in a ZIP. Other QR codes are ignored.

Drag and drop files here, or click to choose

Accepts PDF · up to 500.0 MB per file · up to 20 files at once

You can also paste a file with Ctrl/Cmd+V, or from the clipboard menu.

Auto Split PDF renders pages with Ghostscript to PNG at 150 dpi, looks for QR codes with `rxing`, and treats a QR whose payload is exactly `https://pdf123.xyz` as a divider. qpdf then packs the segments into a ZIP. Other QR contents are ignored.

`duplexMode=true` skips the page after a divider (the presumed back of a duplex separator). With no divider found, the ZIP holds the whole file as one PDF. Divider pages themselves are left out of the output, except a divider on page 1.

This is not blank-page detection (that is Remove Blanks) and not OCR. Password-protected files are unlocked for you on this page once you enter the password; API callers run Unlock first.

Print divider sheets that encode `https://pdf123.xyz` if you want this tool to see cuts.

Features

  • Ghostscript 150 dpi PNG plus QR scan
  • Only QR payload `https://pdf123.xyz` is a cut
  • duplexMode skips the page after a divider
  • Anonymous API at /api/v1/misc/auto-split-pdf

When to use this tool

  • Batch-scan several documents with branded divider sheets
  • Drop the duplex back of a separator page
  • Avoid outline-based splitting when you control the scan tray

How do I split a batch scan automatically?

  1. Insert separator pages whose QR decodes to https://pdf123.xyz.
  2. Upload the PDF. Turn on duplexMode if the back of the separator should be dropped.
  3. Click Process and download the ZIP.
  4. If the ZIP holds a single PDF, the scanner found no valid divider QR.

Limits and edge cases

  • Hard-coded QR payload
  • Not blank-page split, not OCR
  • With no divider found you get the whole file as one PDF
  • Upload limit on this website: 500 MB per file, sent in chunks above about 95 MB. A single direct API request body is capped at 100 MB.

Examples

  • A 20-page scan with two valid QR separators becomes three PDFs in a ZIP
  • A QR that encodes a different URL does not cut

Privacy for this tool

Files are uploaded over HTTPS, processed in memory or a short-lived temporary directory on our servers, and deleted when your result is ready. We do not keep copies for later browsing, training, or advertising profiles. See the Privacy Policy for retention details and AdSense cookie disclosures.

Frequently asked questions

Will any QR split the file?
No. The payload must be exactly https://pdf123.xyz.
Does this split on blank pages?
No. Use Remove Blanks to classify blank vs non-blank. This op only looks for that QR.
Is duplexMode for double-sided scans of the whole job?
It only skips the page immediately after a divider QR, not a general duplex unshuffle.
Why 150 dpi?
That is the Ghostscript -r150 render used before rxing. Tiny printed QRs may not decode.

Last updated:

Call this from code

Every tool on this site is a plain REST endpoint - no account or API key needed for anonymous use. Built for AI agents and developers as much as for browsers.

curl -X POST "https://pdf123.xyz/api/v1/misc/auto-split-pdf" \
  -F "[email protected]" \
  -F "duplexMode=false" \
  -o output.pdf

Also available as an MCP tool for agent clients that speak Model Context Protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0 over POST /mcp). Full API reference

Use it from an AI agent

Skill

Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other AI agents can run Auto Split PDF for you with this skill: /skills/pdf123-auto-split-pdf.md

All agent skills

Files are used only for this processing job and deleted automatically afterward.