> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abbyy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Split pages into separate documents in Advanced Designer

> Build Document Splitter skills in Advanced Designer to separate multi-document files — by type, by annex, by identifier, or to reorder and clean pages.

To split a stream of pages from a multi-document file into separate documents ready for processing, build a [Document Splitter skill](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/document-splitter/splitter). Document Splitter skills can only be created in Advanced Designer. The scenarios below combine [Classify](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/classify-by-text-and-image), [Extraction Rules](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/extraction-rules/extraction-rules), and [Splitter Script](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/splitter-script/splitter-script) activities to find document boundaries.

## Pick a scenario

| Scenario                                    | When to use                                                                  | Key activities                                  |
| :------------------------------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------- |
| Same-type documents in one stream           | Multiple invoices in one file                                                | Extraction Rules + Splitter Script (+ Classify) |
| Separate documents and store annexes        | Documents have explanatory annex pages to retain                             | Classify + Splitter Script (+ Extraction Rules) |
| Separate documents and determine their type | Stream contains documents of different types (e.g., loan application packet) | Classify + Extraction Rules + Splitter Script   |
| Reorder and clean up pages                  | Pages arrive out of order, with blank or garbage pages                       | Extraction Rules + Splitter Script              |

## Same-type documents in one stream

Use this scenario when a file contains multiple documents of the same type — for example, a stack of invoices from one vendor for a billing period. Each invoice has its own number and may carry page numbers; use that data to find boundaries.

* Add an [Extraction Rules activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/extraction-rules/extraction-rules) to extract invoice numbers and page numbers.
* Add a [Classify activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/classify-by-text-and-image) if the first page of each document differs visually from the others.
* Use the [Splitter Script activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/splitter-script/splitter-script) to compare extracted values across pages and decide where each new document starts.

## Separate documents and store annexes

Use this scenario when documents are accompanied by explanatory pages (annexes) that must be retained but not extracted from.

* Use a [Classify activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/classify-by-text-and-image) to label each page as a primary-document page or an annex.
* Optionally add an [Extraction Rules activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/extraction-rules/extraction-rules) to flag pages with no extractable data — those are likely annexes.
* Use the [Splitter Script activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/splitter-script/splitter-script) to attach each annex to its parent document or output it as a separate document.

## Separate documents and determine their type

Use this scenario when the stream contains documents of different types — for example, a loan application packet with identity documents, income statements, bank statements, and utility bills.

* Use a [Classify activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/classify-by-text-and-image) to label each page with its document type.
* Add an [Extraction Rules activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/extraction-rules/extraction-rules) to extract any data that signals the start of a new document.
* Use the [Splitter Script activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/splitter-script/splitter-script) to define rules for both segmenting and labeling each output document.

## Reorder and clean up pages

Use this scenario when pages arrive out of order or include blank or garbage pages from a haphazard scan. Reordering is only possible if the pages carry an ordering signal — for example, printed page numbers.

* Add a field to extract page numbers (or any ordering signal).
* Add a field that detects whether the page contains any text — pages with none can be treated as blank or garbage.
* Use the [Splitter Script activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/splitter-script/splitter-script) to reorder the pages and route blank/garbage pages into a separate output document.

## Build the Document Splitter skill

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/abbyy/NXewBo345IS17i7w/images/vantage/advanced-designer/ad_usecases_splitter.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NXewBo345IS17i7w&q=85&s=7af18508e2a2d315eb354dea02fbb65a" alt="Document Splitter skill processing flow with Classify, Extraction Rules, and Splitter Script activities" width="946" height="164" data-path="images/vantage/advanced-designer/ad_usecases_splitter.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Document Splitter skill">
    Open Advanced Designer and click **Create Splitter Skill** on the start page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload documents">
    On the **Documents** tab, upload your files. Each document set should contain the files for a single business transaction. The source files are converted into separate pages — every activity except the Splitter Script activity processes each page individually.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add classification and extraction activities">
    Configure the processing flow to extract the data needed to identify document boundaries and types. Add a [Classify activity](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/classify-by-text-and-image) when the stream contains multiple document types, or when first pages differ visually from the rest. Add fields and other activities as needed to capture data that helps separate documents of the same type or label document classes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the Splitter Script activity">
    Add document types on the **Splitter Script Properties** pane, then write the script that turns the flow of pages into a set of documents. The script has access to every page in the transaction and can read data produced by other activities to decide which pages start a new document.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test and publish">
    Click **Test Skill Using Selected Documents** to evaluate the results. When the results are good enough, [publish the skill](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/document-splitter/splitter-publish).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Related activities

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Splitter Script activity" icon="code" href="/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/splitter-script/splitter-script">
    Define document boundaries by analyzing the data extracted from each page.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Classify activities" icon="filter" href="/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/classify-by-text-and-image">
    Label each page with its document type or first-page status.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Extraction Rules activity" icon="ruler" href="/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/activities/extraction-rules/extraction-rules">
    Extract identifiers like page numbers, invoice numbers, or document keywords.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Document Splitter skills" icon="scissors" href="/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/document-splitter/splitter">
    Reference for Document Splitter skill structure, settings, and publishing.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
