CSPLIT(1) User Commands CSPLIT(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

csplit - split a file into sections determined by context lines

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**csplit** \[*OPTION*]... *FILE PATTERN*...

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Output pieces of FILE separated by PATTERN(s) to files 'xx00', 'xx01', ..., and output byte counts of each piece to standard output.

Read standard input if FILE is -

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

[**-b, --suffix-format=FORMAT**](#b,)

use sprintf FORMAT instead of %02d

[**-f, --prefix=PREFIX**](#f,)

use PREFIX instead of 'xx'

[**-k, --keep-files**](#k,)

do not remove output files on errors

[**--suppress-matched**](#suppress)

suppress the lines matching PATTERN

[**-n, --digits=DIGITS**](#n,)

use specified number of digits instead of 2

[**-s, --quiet, --silent**](#s,)

do not print counts of output file sizes

[**-z, --elide-empty-files**](#z,)

suppress empty output files

[**--help**](#help)

display this help and exit

[**--version**](#version)

output version information and exit

## [Each PATTERN may be:](#Each_PATTERN_may_be:)

[INTEGER](#INTEGER)

copy up to but not including specified line number

/REGEXP/\[OFFSET]

copy up to but not including a matching line

%REGEXP%\[OFFSET]

skip to, but not including a matching line

{INTEGER}

repeat the previous pattern specified number of times

{\*}

repeat the previous pattern as many times as possible

A line OFFSET is an integer optionally preceded by '+' or '-'

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

Written by Stuart Kemp and David MacKenzie.

# [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS)

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.  
Report any translation bugs to: <https://translationproject.org/team/>.  
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>  
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/csplit>  
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) csplit invocation'

October 2026 GNU coreutils 9.12

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Document: csplit(1) from coreutils 9.12-r7 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/coreutils.git