Split a PDF of invoices by invoice number
Accounting and billing systems often print a whole run of invoices into one PDF. Here’s how to turn it into one correctly named file per invoice, with multi-page invoices kept together.
Filing invoices, attaching them to payments, or sending each customer only their own invoice all need one file per invoice. Splitting every page apart doesn’t work when some invoices run over several pages, and renaming files by hand invites mistakes.
Smart PDF Split & Rename starts a new file when the invoice number changes, so continuation pages stay with their invoice. It names each file from values such as the invoice number, the customer and the date.
Step by step
Add the invoices PDF
Add the PDF from your accounting or billing system. You can add several PDFs and split each separately, or treat them as one continuous file.
Choose the Invoices preset
The preset reads the invoice number next to a label such as “Invoice No” or “Invoice #” and starts a new file whenever it changes. If your invoices use a different label, enter it, or describe the number with a pattern such as
INV-\d+.Check the number of invoices found
Compare it with the number of invoices in your billing system for that run. Documents with no invoice number, or with the same number as the one before, are flagged.
Set the file names
For example
{invoice} - {customer}, or{date:YYYY-MM-DD} - {invoice}if you file by date. Values are used exactly as printed, so leading zeros are kept.Review and download
Correct any name by hand, then download the files individually or as a ZIP, with the audit report listing each invoice’s pages and values.
Settings to choose
| Setting | What to choose |
|---|---|
| Split rule | The Invoices preset: a new file when the invoice number changes. If each invoice prints “Page 1 of N”, the “Page 1 of N” preset is a good alternative. |
| Invoice number | Read next to its label. For unusual layouts, use a pattern such as INV-\d+ or mark the area of the page where the number is printed. |
| File name | {invoice} - {customer}. Use a replacement to remove a prefix such as “INV-” if you don’t want it in the name. |
| Duplicate names | Flag them for review: two invoices with the same number usually mean a reprint or a mistake. |
Example
A five-page PDF with three invoices. The second invoice runs over three pages and shows its number on each page.
| Original pages | Split file |
|---|---|
| 1 | INV-2026-0141 - Example Traders.pdf |
| 2–4 | INV-2026-0142 - Sample Foods Ltd.pdf |
| 5 | INV-2026-0143 - Demo Studio.pdf |
Example with made-up names.
Check before you use the files
- The same invoice printed twice. Two copies next to each other have the same number and end up in one file. The tool flags this so you can decide.
- Credit notes and statements in the same run. They may use a different label, so their number isn’t found. Check documents flagged with a missing value.
- Characters that can’t be used in file names. Characters such as / or : are replaced in file names. The audit report keeps the value exactly as read.
- The count. The number of files should match the number of invoices issued. The audit report lists every file with its pages.
Your files stay on your device
Your PDFs are read, split and named in your browser. They are never uploaded, and your browser blocks the tool page from connecting to the internet or loading anything from other websites. How this works
Questions
Can I split invoices by customer instead of by invoice number?
Yes. Watch the customer name instead of the invoice number. Invoices for the same customer that are next to each other then go into one file, and each such join is flagged so you can check it.
My invoice numbers start with a prefix. Can I remove it from the file name?
Yes. Add a replacement to the invoice number field, for example replace “INV-” with nothing. The audit report still shows the number as printed.
Does it extract invoice totals into a spreadsheet?
No. It splits and names files. The values used in file names are listed in the audit report, but the tool doesn’t extract other data such as totals or line items.
More guides
- Split a payslips PDF into one file per employeePayroll software often exports every payslip in one PDF. Here’s how to split it into a separate, correctly named file for each employee, without uploading salary data anywhere.
- Split and rename scanned PDFs with OCRA scanner produces pictures of pages, with no text to search. Here’s how to split a scanned batch and name each file from its text, with text recognition running on your own device.