remove page from pdf adobe acrobat pro dc

May 9, 2025 7 min read

PDFs are ubiquitous in both personal and professional settings, offering a reliable way to share documents. However, sometimes a PDF contains irrelevant or outdated information, necessitating page removal. While Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a popular tool for this task, it can be expensive and complex for occasional users. BreezePDF provides a user-friendly, online alternative for quickly and easily removing pages from PDFs without the need for software installation or subscription fees.

Remove PDF Pages Easily and Securely!

Use BreezePDF to remove unwanted pages from your PDFs instantly and privately, all within your browser.

Remove Pages Now →

Why Remove Pages from a PDF?

There are several compelling reasons to remove pages from a PDF document. One common reason is to eliminate irrelevant or outdated content, ensuring that only current and pertinent information is shared. Reducing file size is another significant benefit, especially when emailing or storing large documents. Furthermore, removing sensitive information from a PDF before sharing it can protect confidentiality and prevent unauthorized access.

Creating customized versions of a document is yet another important use case. By removing unnecessary pages, you can tailor a PDF to specific audiences or purposes. Whether you're preparing a presentation or sharing specific sections of a report, removing pages allows you to create a streamlined and focused document.

How to Remove Pages from PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offers a robust set of tools for editing PDFs, including the ability to remove pages. However, it's essential to verify your editing permissions before proceeding to avoid any issues. Ensure you have the necessary rights to modify the document; otherwise, you won't be able to remove pages.

Checking Permissions

Before attempting to remove pages, you must confirm that you have permission to edit the PDF. Navigate to "Document Properties" and select the "Security" tab. Review the "Document Restrictions Summary" to determine if editing is allowed. If editing is restricted, you may need to obtain permission from the document creator or use an alternative PDF editor like BreezePDF.

Accessing the Organize Pages Tool

To begin, open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Next, navigate to the "Tools" tab and select "Organize Pages." Alternatively, you may find the same functionality under "Edit > Organize Pages." The "Organize Pages" toolset provides a visual interface with thumbnails of each page, making it easy to select and manipulate pages.

Selecting Pages for Deletion

Within the "Organize Pages" tool, you can select the pages you wish to remove. To select a single page, simply click on its thumbnail. Selecting multiple pages can be achieved by holding down the "Ctrl" (or "Cmd" on Mac) key while clicking on each desired thumbnail. This allows you to choose specific, non-consecutive pages for deletion.

Deleting the Selected Pages

Once you have selected the pages, click the "Delete" icon, typically represented by a trash can icon. A dialog box may appear, prompting you to confirm the deletion. Confirm the deletion to permanently remove the selected pages from the PDF. Be cautious, as this action is irreversible.

Saving the Modified PDF

After deleting the pages, you must save the changes to preserve your modifications. You can save the changes to a new file by selecting "File > Save As." This will create a new PDF with the removed pages, leaving the original document intact. Alternatively, you can overwrite the original file by selecting "File > Save," but this action will permanently alter the original PDF.

Troubleshooting Common Issues in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

While Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a powerful tool, users may encounter occasional issues when removing pages. One common error message is "One or more pages are in use and could not be deleted." This usually happens when the PDF is open in another application or process.

"One or more pages are in use and could not be deleted" error

To resolve this error, first, save the PDF locally to your computer. This ensures you are working with a local copy and not a network version that might be locked. Next, close and reopen the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. This often releases any lingering processes that may be preventing deletion. Additionally, verify that the page you are trying to delete is not actively being viewed or edited by another user or process.

Delete option is greyed out

If the delete option is greyed out, this generally indicates that you do not have sufficient permissions to modify the PDF. This can be confirmed by checking the document's security settings. As outlined earlier, navigate to "Document Properties > Security" and review the Document Restrictions Summary. If editing permissions are restricted, consider using BreezePDF, which doesn't require such permissions for basic page removal.

Alternative Methods: BreezePDF Online PDF Editor

BreezePDF offers a convenient and accessible alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for removing pages from PDFs. As an online solution, BreezePDF eliminates the need for software installation, allowing you to edit PDFs directly in your web browser. This accessibility makes it an ideal choice for users who need to remove pages quickly and efficiently, without the complexities of desktop software.

How to remove pages using BreezePDF:

The process of removing pages with BreezePDF is straightforward and intuitive. First, upload your PDF to BreezePDF by dragging and dropping the file into the designated area or selecting it from your computer. Once the PDF is uploaded, you'll see a thumbnail preview of each page.

To select pages for deletion, simply hover over the page you want to delete in the left pane. Click on the red "x" in the upper right-hand corner of the page preview. After selecting all the pages for deletion, the changes are automatically reflected. Finally, download the modified PDF to your device.

Benefits of using BreezePDF:

BreezePDF provides several advantages over traditional desktop software. It's accessible from any device with a web browser, allowing you to edit PDFs on the go. The drag-and-drop interface makes it exceptionally easy to use, even for those with limited technical skills. Since it operates online, there's no need for software installation or updates, saving you time and resources. And because https://breezepdf.com/blog/add-fillable-fields-to-pdf-online it is free, it offers an affordable solution to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Tips for Organizing PDF Pages

While this article focuses on removing pages, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC also offers tools for organizing PDF pages in other ways. These include reordering pages, rotating pages, extracting pages, and inserting pages from other PDFs. These functions are located in the same "Organize Pages" toolset.

To reorder pages, simply click and drag the page thumbnails to their desired positions. Rotating pages can be done by selecting the page and clicking the rotate icons. Extracting pages creates a new PDF containing only the selected pages. Inserting pages from another PDF involves selecting where you want the pages to be inserted and then choosing the source PDF.

Security Considerations

When working with PDFs, especially those containing sensitive information, security should be a top priority. Always remove any sensitive content before sharing a PDF. This includes personally identifiable information, financial data, or confidential business details. Failing to do so could lead to privacy breaches or security risks.

Password protecting the final PDF document adds an extra layer of security. By setting a password, you can restrict access to authorized individuals only, preventing unauthorized viewing or modification. BreezePDF offers the ability to password-protect your PDFs, ensuring that your documents remain secure.

Conclusion

Removing pages from PDFs is a common task with various methods available. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offers a comprehensive suite of editing tools but can be costly. BreezePDF provides a convenient and accessible alternative, offering a user-friendly, online solution for quickly removing pages without requiring software installation. And as BreezePDF runs entirely in the browser, none of your documents are ever sent to a server and remain 100% private.

For those seeking ease of use and accessibility, BreezePDF presents a compelling option. Its intuitive interface and online accessibility make it a valuable tool for anyone needing to modify PDFs. Try BreezePDF today for all your PDF editing needs and experience the convenience of seamless, secure, and free PDF editing.