Compress a PDF to an exact size
Add your PDF, then type the size you need — 100 KB, 200 KB, 1 MB or any number — or pick one of the quick targets. The file comes out under it.
Drop your PDFs here
or pick them from your device
Your files are never transmitted. Nothing is uploaded.
Common limits and what to type
Type the number in the size box. Each one sits a little under the limit, so the file passes however the form counts. Where you meet each size comes from the official pages in our table of portal limits.
| Limit | Type | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| 100 KB | 0.09 | Indian exam forms |
| 200 KB | 0.18 | Indian exam forms |
| 500 KB | 0.48 | — |
| 1 MB | 0.95 | Handshake documents |
| 2 MB | 1.9 | LinkedIn resume uploads |
| 3 MB | 2.85 | LSAC law school applications |
| 4 MB | 3.8 | IRCC, Companies House “Upload a document” |
| 5 MB | 4.75 | ImmiAccount, USAJOBS, UCAS application documents, Notion file uploads |
| 6 MB | 5.7 | EU Settlement Scheme |
| 10 MB | 9.5 | HealthCare.gov Marketplace documents, HMRC Customs Declaration Service documents, Centrelink online account, Adobe Acrobat Sign, Mailchimp Content Studio |
| 12 MB | 11.4 | USCIS |
| 15 MB | 14.25 | The IRS Document Upload Tool, HMRC compliance check documents, Liaison centralized application services |
| 16 MB | 15.2 | Student Finance England evidence |
| 20 MB | 19 | Etsy, iCloud Mail, Zoho Mail, Shopify files, Squarespace file uploads |
| 25 MB | 23.75 | Gmail, EOIR ECAS, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, VA.gov claim status tool, USPTO Patent Center, Proton Mail |
| 30 MB | 28.5 | Claude file uploads |
| 40 MB | 38 | Dropbox Sign |
| 50 MB | 47.5 | Docusign eSignature |
| 100 MB | 95 | Turnitin, New York Appellate Division e-filing, Greenhouse job applications, Gemini app file uploads |
If it will not go that small
Compression shrinks images. A long document that is mostly text has little to shrink; these get it under the limit.
- Split by size — Cut a long file into parts that each stay under the limit.
- Make it grayscale — Color scans weigh far more than gray ones; most forms accept gray.
- Remove pages — Leave out blank backs and pages the form did not ask for.
Questions
- Will the text stay readable?
- Yes. Compression shrinks the images inside the PDF — scans and photos — and leaves the text as it is. Check one page at 100% zoom before you upload, especially for very small targets.
- What if my file is already under the size?
- The tool tells you instead of handing back the same file, and suggests a smaller target if you still want it lighter.
- Why does a 5 MB target show as 4.8 MB on my computer?
- The size box counts a megabyte as 1,000,000 bytes, the way most upload forms do. Some computers count 1,048,576, so the same file looks a little smaller there. Either way it is under the limit.
- Is my file uploaded?
- No. The file is never transmitted — you choose the size, it is compressed, and you download it.