Who it’s for: All users
Platform: Windows and macOS
Available on: All plans
Overview
If a PDF is too large to upload or process in Sense Workplace, you can split it into two or more smaller PDF files and process each file separately.
Where possible, aim to keep each resulting PDF below the recommended file size shown in the relevant Sense guidance.
⚠️ Important: HR documents can contain confidential or personal information. Where possible, use PDF software installed on your device rather than uploading employee documents to an external PDF service. Always follow your organisation’s data-security and privacy policies.
Before you split the PDF
Check the PDF to identify where individual documents or records begin and end.
When splitting a PDF containing documents for multiple people, keep all pages belonging to the same person or document together.
For example, if an employee’s payslip is two pages long, make sure both pages remain together in the same resulting PDF.
💡 Tip: You do not need to split the PDF into equal numbers of pages. The aim is to create smaller files without separating pages that belong together.
You may need to try more than once to find a suitable number of pages per file, as PDF file size depends on the content of the pages, not just the number of pages. Once you find a split that works for a regularly generated file, you can usually use a similar page range each time.
Option 1: Windows — Microsoft Edge and Print to PDF
Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge.
Click Print.
Under Pages, select Custom, then enter the page range you want to put into the first file, for example 1–50.
Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
Click Print.
Choose where to save the new PDF and give it a clear name.
Repeat for the remaining pages.
Option 2: Mac — Preview
Open the PDF in Preview.
Click View > Thumbnails.
Select the pages you want in the first file.
Drag the selected thumbnails from the sidebar onto your desktop.
Preview creates a new PDF containing those pages.
Repeat for the remaining pages and rename the files as needed.
💡 Tip: To select a continuous range of pages, select the first page, then hold Shift while selecting the last page in the range.
Option 3: Split a PDF using Adobe Acrobat
If you have Adobe Acrobat with PDF editing tools:
Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
Click All tools > Organize pages.
Click Split.
Choose how you want to split the PDF, for example by Number of pages or File Size.
If needed, select Output options to choose where the new files are saved and how they are named.
Click Split.
💡 Tip: Splitting by File Size can be particularly useful when you need each resulting PDF to stay below a recommended upload or processing size.
Check the new PDFs
Before uploading or processing the files, open each new PDF and check that:
☑️ All expected pages are present
☑️ Pages are in the correct order
☑️ Pages belonging to the same person or document remain together
☑️ Each PDF opens correctly
☑️ Each PDF is within the recommended file size for the feature you are using
You can now upload or process each smaller PDF separately.
FAQ
Click for answers to frequently asked questions
Click for answers to frequently asked questions
Q: Why do I need to split a PDF?
A: You may need to split a PDF if it exceeds the file size that a Sense Workplace feature can upload or process.
Splitting the PDF creates smaller files that can be processed separately while preserving the original documents.
Q: How small should I make each PDF?
A: How small you should make each PDF depends on the Sense Workplace feature you are using, as recommended file sizes may differ.
Check the guidance for the relevant feature. If a recommended maximum file size is provided, keep each resulting PDF below that size.
Q: Can I use an online PDF splitting tool?
A: You can use an online PDF splitting tool, but employee and HR documents may contain confidential or personal information.
Before uploading documents to an external website, make sure the service is approved under your organisation’s data-security and privacy policies.
If you are unsure, use approved PDF software or the PDF tools available on your device instead.
Q: Will splitting a PDF change the original file?
A: Splitting a PDF using the methods in this guide will not change the original file. The process creates new PDF files containing the selected pages.
Your original PDF remains available unless you choose to delete or overwrite it.
Q: What should I check after splitting a PDF?
A: After splitting a PDF, open each resulting file and check that all expected pages are present and in the correct order.
If the PDF contains documents for multiple people, also check that pages belonging to the same person or document have not been separated.