DEV Community: PDF Python Hub

Access Google Drive Files in Google Colab

PDF Python Hub — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 20:41:21 +0000

This mini-guide explains how to connect Google Drive to Google Colab and access your PDF file using Python.

1. Upload Your PDF File to Google Drive

Upload the PDF file you want to use to your Google Drive.

2. Mount Google Drive

Run the following code in your Colab notebook:

from google.colab import drive

drive.mount("/content/drive")

Follow the prompts to authorize access to your Google Drive.

Once mounted, your file will be accessible through the /content/drive directory.

3. Specify the File Path

Define the path to your PDF file:

file_path = "/content/drive/MyDrive/data.pdf"

Replace data.pdf with your actual filename.

If the PDF file is in a subfolder, include the subfolder name, for example Projects, in the path:

file_path = "/content/drive/MyDrive//Projects/data.pdf"

To check whether the file exists at file_path in the Google Colab environment, run:

import os

print(os.path.exists(file_path))

Complete Example

from google.colab import drive
drive.mount("/content/drive")

file_path = "/content/drive/MyDrive/data.pdf"

import os
print(os.path.exists(file_path))

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

What's Next? Install PyMuPDF in Google Colab

Learn how to install PyMuPDF so you can start working with PDF documents in Google Colab.

How to Install PyMuPDF in Google Colab →

How to Split a PDF into Multiple PDFs by Custom Page Selections in Google Colab

PDF Python Hub — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:36:11 +0000

If you want to split a PDF into multiple PDFs by selecting specific pages for each one, you can use Python and PyMuPDF in Google Colab.

For example, you can turn a 20-page PDF into 3 separate PDFs, each containing 5 pages of your choice.

1. Install PyMuPDF

First, run this code in a Google Colab cell to install PyMuPDF:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Import libraries

Next, import the libraries needed for the workflow:

from google.colab import files
import pymupdf
import os
import shutil

These libraries are used for:

files — uploading and downloading files in Google Colab
pymupdf — opening and creating PDF files
os — creating and working with folders
shutil — creating the ZIP archive at the end

3. Upload your PDF

Use Google Colab's file upload dialog to select the PDF you want to split:

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

After running the cell, click Choose Files and select your PDF.

The uploaded filename is stored in the input_pdf variable.

4. Open your PDF

Now open the uploaded PDF using PyMuPDF:

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

The doc object represents your original PDF document.

5. Specify the pages for each PDF

Create a dictionary called selections to specify which pages should be included in each output PDF:

Page numbers start at 0, so 0 is the first page, 1 is the second page, and so on.

For a 20-page PDF split into 3 parts of 5 pages each:

selections = {
    "part1.pdf": [0, 1, 3, 4, 5],
    "part2.pdf": [6, 9, 10, 12, 13],
    "part3.pdf": [14, 16, 17, 18, 19]
}

The pages don't have to be consecutive, and you can arrange them in whatever order you specify.

6. Create the separate PDFs

Next, create a folder for the output files:

output_dir = "split_multiple_pdfs"
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

Now loop through the selections and create each PDF:

for filename, pages in selections.items():
    output = pymupdf.open()

    for page_number in pages:
        output.insert_pdf(
            doc,
            from_page=page_number,
            to_page=page_number
        )

    output.save(os.path.join(output_dir, filename))
    output.close()

doc.close()

Here's what this code does:

Goes through each filename and its list of selected pages.
Creates a new, empty PDF.
Copies each selected page from the original PDF.
Saves the new PDF inside the output folder.
Closes the new PDF.
Finally, closes the original PDF.

The resulting folder will look like this:

split_multiple_pdfs/

├── part1.pdf

├── part2.pdf

└── part3.pdf

7. Download all PDFs as a ZIP file

Instead of downloading each PDF separately, create a ZIP file containing all the parts:

zip_path = shutil.make_archive(
    "split_multiple_pdfs",
    "zip",
    output_dir
)

This creates:
split_multiple_pdfs.zip

The ZIP file contains all of the PDFs from the split_multiple_pdfs folder.

8. Download the ZIP file

Finally, use Google Colab's files.download() function:

files.download(zip_path)

Your browser will download:
split_multiple_pdfs.zip

After extracting the ZIP file, you'll find all of your newly created PDFs inside.

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

from google.colab import files
import pymupdf
import os
import shutil

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
    raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

selections = {
    "part1.pdf": [0, 1, 3, 4, 5],
    "part2.pdf": [6, 9, 10, 12, 13],
    "part3.pdf": [14, 16, 17, 18, 19]
}

output_dir = "split_multiple_pdfs"
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

for filename, pages in selections.items():
    output = pymupdf.open()

    for page_number in pages:
        output.insert_pdf(
            doc,
            from_page=page_number,
            to_page=page_number
        )

    output.save(os.path.join(output_dir, filename))
    output.close()

doc.close()

zip_path = shutil.make_archive(
    "split_multiple_pdfs",
    "zip",
    output_dir
)

files.download(zip_path)

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to Split a PDF by Custom Page Selections in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Split a PDF by Custom Page Selections in Google Colab

How to Split a PDF by Custom Page Selections in Google Colab

PDF Python Hub — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:45:26 +0000

With Python, PyMuPDF, and Google Colab, you can easily extract specific pages from a PDF and save them as a new PDF. This is useful when you need to extract individual chapters, sections, or selected pages.

1. Install PyMuPDF

Run this cell first:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Upload your PDF

Import Google Colab's file upload tool and select your PDF:

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

3. Open the PDF

Import PyMuPDF and open the uploaded file:

import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

Note: PyMuPDF uses zero-based page indexing.
Page 1 = index 0
Page 2 = index 1
Page 3 = index 2

4. Select the pages to extract

Specify the pages you want to extract.
For example, this selects pages 1, 3, and 5:

pages = [0, 2, 4]

5. Create a new PDF

Create a new PDF and copy the selected pages into it:

output = pymupdf.open()

for page_number in pages:
  output.insert_pdf(
      doc,
      from_page=page_number,
      to_page=page_number

)

output.save("selected_pages.pdf")

output.close()

doc.close()

6. Download the new PDF

Once the PDF has been created, download it to your computer:

files.download("selected_pages.pdf")

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

pages = [0, 2, 4]

output = pymupdf.open()

for page_number in pages:
  output.insert_pdf(
      doc,
      from_page=page_number,
      to_page=page_number

)

output.save("selected_pages.pdf")

output.close()

doc.close()

files.download("selected_pages.pdf")

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab.

How to Split a PDF into Page Ranges in Google Colab

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:21:36 +0000

If you have a multi-page PDF and want to turn specific page ranges into separate PDF files, you can do this easily with PyMuPDF in Google Colab.

For example, you can split a PDF like this:

Pages 1–3 → pages_1-3.pdf
Pages 4–6 → pages_4-6.pdf
Pages 7–10 → pages_7-10.pdf

1. Install PyMuPDF

First, install the PyMuPDF library:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Import Libraries

Then import the libraries you’ll need:

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

3. Upload Your PDF

The following code opens a file picker so you can upload your PDF:

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

The uploaded file is stored in the variable input_pdf.

4. Create an Output Folder

Next, create an output folder called split_ranges where the individual PDF files will be saved:

output_dir = Path("split_ranges")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

We set exist_ok=True so that Python won't return an error if the folder already exists.

5. Open the PDF

Next, open the uploaded PDF with PyMuPDF:

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

The variable doc now represents the entire PDF document.

6. Define the Page Ranges

Now define the page ranges you want to split from the PDF.

For example, if you want to create PDFs containing pages 1–3, 4–6, and 7–10:

ranges = [
    (1, 3),
    (4, 6),
    (7, 10)
]

The numbers represent the PDF page numbers, starting at 1.

7. Split the PDF into Page Ranges

The following loop goes through every page range. For each range, it creates a new PDF, copies the selected pages into it, saves it, and then closes the new PDF:

for start, end in ranges:

    new_pdf = pymupdf.open()

    new_pdf.insert_pdf(
        doc,
        from_page=start - 1,
        to_page=end - 1
    )

    output_path = output_dir / f"pages_{start}-{end}.pdf"

    new_pdf.save(output_path)
    new_pdf.close()

Here's what happens:

start is the first page of the range.
end is the last page of the range.
start - 1 converts the page number into a zero-based page index.
end - 1 converts the last page number into a zero-based page index.
A new empty PDF is created for each range.
insert_pdf() copies the selected pages into the new PDF.
save() creates a file such as pages_1-3.pdf.
close() closes the newly created PDF after it has been saved.

For example, a 10-page PDF with the ranges above will produce:

split_ranges/

├── pages_1-3.pdf

├── pages_4-6.pdf

└── pages_7-10.pdf

The first PDF contains pages 1, 2, and 3.

The second PDF contains pages 4, 5, and 6.

The third PDF contains pages 7, 8, 9, and 10.

8. Close the Original PDF

Once all the page ranges have been processed, close the original PDF:

doc.close()

9. Create a ZIP File

Instead of downloading every PDF individually, you can put all the individual PDFs into a ZIP file:

zip_path = shutil.make_archive(
    "split_ranges",
    "zip",
    output_dir)

files.download(zip_path)

This creates:
split_ranges.zip
and automatically starts the download in Google Colab.

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

output_dir = Path("split_ranges")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

ranges = [
    (1, 3),
    (4, 6),
    (7, 10)
]

for start, end in ranges:

    new_pdf = pymupdf.open()

    new_pdf.insert_pdf(
        doc,
        from_page=start - 1,
        to_page=end - 1
    )

    output_path = output_dir / f"pages_{start}-{end}.pdf"

    new_pdf.save(output_path)
    new_pdf.close()

doc.close()

zip_path = shutil.make_archive(
    "split_ranges",
    "zip",
    output_dir)

files.download(zip_path)

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab.

How to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab

PDF Python Hub — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:43:10 +0000

If you have a multi-page PDF and want to turn each page into a separate PDF file, you can do this easily with PyMuPDF in Google Colab.

1. Install PyMuPDF

First, install the PyMuPDF library:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Import Libraries

Then import the libraries you’ll need:

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

3. Upload Your PDF

The following code opens a file picker so you can upload your PDF:

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

The uploaded file is stored in the variable input_pdf.

4. Create an Output Folder

Next, create an output folder called split_pages where the individual PDF pages will be saved:

output_dir = Path("split_pages")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

We set exist_ok=True so that Python won't return an error if the folder already exists.

5. Open the PDF

Next, open the uploaded PDF with PyMuPDF:

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

The variable doc now represents the entire PDF document.

6. Split the PDF into Individual Pages

The following loop goes through every page in the PDF. For each page, it creates a new PDF, copies the current page into it, saves it, and then closes the new PDF:

for i in range(len(doc)):
  new_pdf = pymupdf.open()
  new_pdf.insert_pdf(doc, from_page=i, to_page=i)
  new_pdf.save(output_dir / f"page_{i + 1}.pdf")
  new_pdf.close()

Here's what happens:

range(len(doc)) generates the page indexes for every page in the PDF.
i is the page index, starting at 0.
A new empty PDF is created for each page.
insert_pdf() copies the current page into the new PDF.
save() creates a file such as page_1.pdf, page_2.pdf, and so on.
close() closes the newly created PDF after it has been saved.

For example, a 5-page PDF will produce:

split_pages/

├── page_1.pdf

├── page_2.pdf

├── page_3.pdf

├── page_4.pdf

└── page_5.pdf

7. Close the Original PDF

Once all the pages have been processed, close the original PDF:

doc.close()

8. Create a ZIP File

Instead of downloading every PDF individually, you can put all the individual PDFs into a ZIP file:

shutil.make_archive("split_pages", "zip", "split_pages")
files.download("split_pages.zip")

This creates:
split_pages.zip

and automatically starts the download in Google Colab.

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

import pymupdf
from google.colab import files
from pathlib import Path
import shutil

uploaded = files.upload()

if not uploaded:
  raise ValueError("No PDF was uploaded.")

input_pdf = next(iter(uploaded))

output_dir = Path("split_pages")
output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

doc = pymupdf.open(input_pdf)

for i in range(len(doc)):
  new_pdf = pymupdf.open()
  new_pdf.insert_pdf(doc, from_page=i, to_page=i)
  new_pdf.save(output_dir / f"page_{i + 1}.pdf")
  new_pdf.close()

doc.close()

shutil.make_archive("split_pages", "zip", "split_pages")
files.download("split_pages.zip")

Why Split a PDF into Separate PDFs?

Splitting a PDF into individual pages is useful when you need to:

Extract specific pages from a larger document.
Process pages separately.
Upload individual pages as separate documents.
Share only certain pages with someone.
Organize a large PDF into smaller files.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to count the number of pages in a PDF?

Check out this mini-guide: How to Count the Number of Pages in a PDF Using PyMuPDF

Convert PDF Data to JSON with Python

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:28:18 +0000

The Python script below uses PyMuPDF to read basic information from a PDF, saves that information as a JSON file, and downloads the file to your computer.

1. Install `pymupdf`

If pymupdf isn't already installed in your Colab environment, run:

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

2. Import the dependencies

import pymupdf
import json
from google.colab import files

3. Upload the PDF

uploaded = files.upload()

4. Open the PDF

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

This opens the PDF so Python can access its information.

Replace "sample.pdf" with the name of your PDF.

5. Collect the information

The script creates a dictionary containing:

page_number — the total number of pages
metadata — information such as the PDF title, author, subject, creator, and creation date

data = {
    "page_number": doc.page_count,
    "metadata": doc.metadata
}

6. Save the information as JSON

with open("pdf_information.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
    json.dump(data, f, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False)

"w" — opens the file in write mode, meaning new content is written to the file.
encoding="utf-8" — specifies UTF-8 character encoding, allowing the file to correctly handle characters from different languages and special characters.
as f — gives the opened file a short name (f).
json.dump() —writes Python data to JSON.
indent=4 — formats the JSON with 4 spaces of indentation, making it easier for humans to read.
ensure_ascii=False — keeps non-ASCII characters as they are instead of converting them into Unicode escape sequences. For example, é stays as é rather than becoming \u00e9.
with — automatically closes the JSON file when the block finishes, even if something goes wrong while writing.

7. Download the JSON file

Because this is running in Google Colab, you can download the generated file directly:

files.download("pdf_information.json")

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

import pymupdf
import json
from google.colab import files

uploaded = files.upload()

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

data = {
    "page_number": doc.page_count,
    "metadata": doc.metadata
}

with open("pdf_information.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
    json.dump(data, f, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False)

files.download("pdf_information.json")

Example Output

The resulting JSON might look like:

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide: Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF.

Closing PDF Documents Safely with PyMuPDF

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:13:35 +0000

doc.close() closes a PDF document that you previously opened with PyMuPDF.

What does `doc.close()` do?

doc.close():

Releases resources and memory associated with the document.
Closes the document and its underlying resources.
Makes the Document object unavailable for further document operations.

When should you use it?

Use doc.close() when you are finished working with a PDF, especially when:

You created or modified a PDF.
You are processing many PDFs in a loop.
You want to make sure the document is no longer being held open.

Important: After calling doc.close(), you can no longer work with the document. Attempting to perform operations on a closed document can raise: ValueError: document closed

If you need to work with the PDF again, you can open it with pymupdf.open():

doc = pymupdf.open("sample.pdf")

This creates a new Document object that you can work with normally.

Should you save the PDF document before closing it?

If you've modified the PDF, make sure you save your changes to a new file before closing the document.

For example:

doc.save("modified.pdf")

If you close a modified document without saving it, your changes may be lost.

doc.close() does not save your changes.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide: Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF.

Exploring PDF Metadata with PyMuPDF

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:02:18 +0000

If you’re working with a PyMuPDF's Document object called doc, you can access its metadata with:

metadata = doc.metadata

PyMuPDF is a Python library for working with PDF files.

What does `doc.metadata` mean?

doc.metadata contains additional information about the PDF document, rather than the PDF document’s main text.

It might contain information such as:

format
title
author
creator

1. Store the metadata

metadata = doc.metadata

This takes the metadata associated with doc and stores it in a variable called metadata.

2. Print the metadata

print(metadata)

This displays the metadata:

{'format': 'PDF 1.5', 'title': 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) ', 'author': 'PDF Python Hub', 'subject': 'An Overview of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Ethical Frameworks, and Future Outlook', 'keywords': 'Artificial Intelligence, AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative AI, Large Language Models, AI Ethics', 'creator': 'Google Docs', 'producer': 'Skia/PDF m153 Google Docs Renderer', 'creationDate': "D:20260816101230+02'00'", 'modDate': "D:20260818145823+02'00'", 'trapped': '', 'encryption': None}

You can then access individual pieces of information:

print(metadata["author"])

print(metadata["creationDate"])

Complete Example

metadata = doc.metadata

print(metadata)

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide: Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF.

How to Get the Total Number of PDF Pages with PyMuPDF

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:30:22 +0000

Once you have opened a PDF with PyMuPDF, you can easily find out how many pages it contains.

1. Using page_count

page_number = doc.page_count
print(page_number)

The page_count property returns the total number of pages in the PDF.

Here, the number of pages is stored in the variable page_number, and print() displays it.

For example, if the PDF contains 44 pages, the output will be:
44

2. Using len()

You can also use Python's built-in len() function:
len(doc)

This returns the total number of pages in the PDF as well.

For example:

print(len(doc))

Example Output:
44

Key takeaway
Both approaches give you the number of pages:
doc.page_count
or
len(doc)

Complete Example

# Method 1

page_number = doc.page_count
print(page_number)

# Method 2

print(len(doc))

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

More PDF Python Resources

Want to learn how to open a PDF file?

Check out this mini-guide: Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF.

How to Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:19:38 +0000

PyMuPDF is a Python library for working with PDF files. The code below opens an existing PDF so you can read, extract, or modify its contents.

1. Import PyMuPDF

import pymupdf

This imports the PyMuPDF library and makes its PDF tools available in your Python program.

2. Open the PDF

doc = pymupdf.open("data.pdf")

pymupdf.open() opens the PDF file named data.pdf.
The returned document is stored in the variable doc, which you can then use to access the PDF's pages and content.

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

import pymupdf
doc = pymupdf.open("data.pdf")

In short: import pymupdf loads the library, while pymupdf.open("data.pdf") opens the PDF and stores it in doc for further processing.

Note: Make sure the pymupdf package is installed and the PDF file (data.pdf) is uploaded to your Google Colab environment before running the following code.

-Want to learn how to install the pymupdf package in Google Colab?
Check out this mini-guide: How to Install PyMuPDF in Google Colab.

-Want to learn how to upload your PDF file in Google Colab?
Check out this mini-guide: Uploading Files in Google Colab.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

Installing PyMuPDF in Google Colab: A Quick Guide

PDF Python Hub — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:08:22 +0000

PyMuPDF is a Python library for working with PDF files. The following commands install the library, import it, and check which version is installed.

1. Install PyMuPDF

%pip install -q -U pymupdf

%pip runs pip directly from a Jupyter Notebook or Google Colab cell.
install tells pip to install a package.
-U (or --upgrade) tells pip to install the package if it is not already installed or upgrade it to the latest available compatible version if it is already installed.
-q (or --quiet) reduces the amount of installation output.
pymupdf is the package name.

2. Import PyMuPDF

import pymupdf

This makes the PyMuPDF library available in your Python code.

3. Check the Installed Version

print(pymupdf.__version__)

This prints the version of PyMuPDF currently installed.

You should see output similar to:

1.x.x

Complete Example

%pip install -q -U pymupdf
import pymupdf
print(pymupdf.__version__)

The exact version will depend on the latest version available when you run the installation.

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

What's Next? Upload Your PDF in Google Colab

Want to learn how to upload your PDF in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: Uploading FIles in Google Colab

How to Upload Files to Google Colab

PDF Python Hub — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 06:49:47 +0000

The following code lets you upload one or more files from your computer directly into a Google Colab notebook:

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()

How it works

1. Import the file-upload tool
from google.colab import files

This imports Colab’s files module, which provides functions for uploading and downloading files in Google Colab.

2. Open the upload window
uploaded = files.upload()

When this line runs, Colab displays a Choose Files button. You can select one or more files from your computer.

The uploaded file(s) are stored in the uploaded variable as a dictionary.

For example, if you select a PDF, Colab uploads it to the notebook environment and stores its information in the uploaded variable.

3. Check the filename(s)
uploaded.keys()

Complete Example

from google.colab import files
uploaded = files.upload()
uploaded.keys()

Open the notebook

Open the Google Colab notebook for this PDF mini-guide and run the code as you follow along.

[Open in Google Colab]

This mini-guide was originally published on PDF Python Hub, where you can find more in-depth Python resources for working with PDFs.

What's Next? Open Your First PDF in Google Colab

Want to learn how to open your first PDF in Google Colab?

Check out this mini-guide: Open Your First PDF with PyMuPDF

DEV Community: PDF Python Hub

Access Google Drive Files in Google Colab

1. Upload Your PDF File to Google Drive

2. Mount Google Drive

3. Specify the File Path

Complete Example

Open the notebook

What's Next? Install PyMuPDF in Google Colab

How to Split a PDF into Multiple PDFs by Custom Page Selections in Google Colab

1. Install PyMuPDF

2. Import libraries

3. Upload your PDF

4. Open your PDF

5. Specify the pages for each PDF

6. Create the separate PDFs

7. Download all PDFs as a ZIP file

8. Download the ZIP file

Complete Example

Open the notebook

More PDF Python Resources

How to Split a PDF by Custom Page Selections in Google Colab

1. Install PyMuPDF

2. Upload your PDF

3. Open the PDF

4. Select the pages to extract

5. Create a new PDF

6. Download the new PDF

Complete Example

Open the notebook

More PDF Python Resources

How to Split a PDF into Page Ranges in Google Colab

1. Install PyMuPDF

2. Import Libraries

3. Upload Your PDF

4. Create an Output Folder

5. Open the PDF

6. Define the Page Ranges

7. Split the PDF into Page Ranges

8. Close the Original PDF

9. Create a ZIP File

Complete Example

Open the notebook

More PDF Python Resources

How to Split a PDF into Separate PDF Pages in Google Colab

1. Install PyMuPDF

2. Import Libraries

3. Upload Your PDF

4. Create an Output Folder

5. Open the PDF

6. Split the PDF into Individual Pages

7. Close the Original PDF

8. Create a ZIP File

Complete Example

Why Split a PDF into Separate PDFs?

Open the notebook

More PDF Python Resources

Convert PDF Data to JSON with Python

1. Install pymupdf

2. Import the dependencies

3. Upload the PDF

4. Open the PDF

5. Collect the information

6. Save the information as JSON

7. Download the JSON file

Complete Example

Example Output

Open the notebook

More PDF Python Resources

Closing PDF Documents Safely with PyMuPDF

What does doc.close() do?

When should you use it?

Should you save the PDF document before closing it?

Open the notebook

More PDF Python Resources

Exploring PDF Metadata with PyMuPDF

What does doc.metadata mean?

1. Store the metadata

2. Print the metadata

Complete Example

Open the notebook

1. Install `pymupdf`

What does `doc.close()` do?

What does `doc.metadata` mean?