How to programmatically delete pages from PDFs using the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK

Posted on Author VeryDOC / 11 Views

How to programmatically delete pages from PDFs using the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK

Meta Description

Need to batch delete pages from multiple PDFs? Here's how I streamlined the process using the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK.

I used to waste hours deleting pages from PDFs manually...

Every month, I deal with stacks of PDF reports. Some have cover pages I don't need. Others have 100 pages, and I only need 30 of them.

Manually deleting unwanted pages with GUI tools? It sucked up time, crashed often, and killed my flow.

How to programmatically delete pages from PDFs using the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK

Worse, when I tried using a few free tools, the output files sometimes lost bookmarks or annotationswhich caused issues down the line.

I needed a reliable, programmatic way to automate PDF page deletion. That's when I stumbled across the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK.

What is the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK?

Put simply, it's a no-nonsense PDF toolkit that lets you split, merge, and delete PDF pages through command line or scripts.

It's built for Windows environments (from XP to Windows 11) and doesn't rely on Adobe Acrobat or any other bloated software.

You can use it inside scripts, batch files, or plug it into your own app using the SDK.

If you're a developer, IT admin, or anyone managing high-volume PDF workflows, this tool is gold.

Why I chose VeryPDF over other tools

I tested a few options. Most had one of these problems:

  • GUI-only = can't automate

  • Breaks PDF forms or bookmarks

  • Slow as hell with large PDFs

  • Expensive licensing or subscription model

VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK checked all the right boxes:

  • Lightweight, portable, and scriptable

  • Handles large PDF files like a champ

  • Keeps bookmarks, AcroForms, annotations intact

  • Insanely fast (and doesn't choke on 500-page files)

3 killer features that saved my sanity

1. Delete specific pages or ranges, with precision

Say you have a 100-page PDF and you want to nuke pages 1, 3, and 510.

Here's what I ran:

bash
pdfpg.exe delete C:\input.pdf,1,3,5-10 C:\output.pdf

Boom. Done in 2 seconds.

No mouse clicks. No dragging page thumbnails around. Just results.

You can also:

  • Remove even/odd pages: pdfpg.exe delete C:\input.pdf,even C:\output.pdf

  • Delete the first 20 pages: pdfpg.exe delete C:\input.pdf,-20 C:\output.pdf

  • Reverse page order or keep only certain pages

This alone saved me 45 hours per week.

2. Batch delete in scripts (great for automation)

I wrote a PowerShell script that reads a list of PDF files from a folder and deletes specific pages from each one using a loop.

Example:

powershell
foreach ($file in Get-ChildItem "C:\PDFs") {

& "pdfpg.exe" delete "$($file.FullName),1" "C:\Cleaned\$($file.Name)"

}

I let it run during lunchcame back and everything was cleaned and re-saved.

You can also feed it a file list:

bash
pdfpg.exe delete @filelist.txt C:\output.pdf

Great for IT teams or document management systems that process hundreds of PDFs daily.

3. Keeps what matters: bookmarks, forms, annotations

One of my biggest frustrations with other tools was that they'd strip out interactive elements.

VeryPDF retains:

  • Bookmarks useful if your docs are long or sectioned

  • AcroForms fillable forms stay functional

  • Annotations highlights and comments aren't lost

It also lets you turn these on/off depending on your needs using:

bash
pdfpg.exe set RetainBookmarks on

pdfpg.exe set RetainAcroForms on

Who should use this?

This tool is perfect for:

  • Accountants cleaning up financial reports

  • Law firms removing sensitive pages before sharing

  • Developers building custom PDF workflows

  • Administrators automating repetitive document tasks

  • Data teams cleaning PDFs before converting to Excel

If your work involves more than 5 PDFs a daythis will pay for itself in week one.

Final thoughts: why I stick with VeryPDF

I've been using the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK for months now, and it's been a rock-solid solution.

It solved three major headaches for me:

  • Manual, slow PDF editing

  • Loss of critical metadata like bookmarks and forms

  • Inability to script or automate the process

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who handles high-volume PDF documents or wants to automate PDF page management.

Want to try it yourself?

Start here: https://www.verypdf.com/app/pdf-split-merge/

FAQ

Q1: Can I delete pages from multiple PDFs at once?

Yes. Use batch scripts or command line to automate across folders.

Q2: Will it break the PDF structure or bookmarks?

Nope. VeryPDF keeps bookmarks, forms, and annotations intact by default.

Q3: Do I need Adobe Acrobat installed?

No. That's the beauty of it. VeryPDF is fully independent.

Q4: What platforms does it support?

Windows 98 all the way to Windows 11 (32 & 64-bit).

Q5: Is there a GUI version too?

YesVeryPDF also offers a GUI app if you prefer manual use over scripting.

Tags / Keywords

  • programmatically delete PDF pages

  • batch delete pages from PDFs

  • PDF page deletion command line

  • VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK

  • automate PDF editing

Need custom features?

VeryPDF offers custom development services if you need specific PDF processing workflows.

Reach out here: http://support.verypdf.com/

P.S. If you're still deleting PDF pages manually... you're wasting time.

Use the VeryPDF Split-Merge SDK and thank me later.

Related Posts