Compress PDF for Upload
Get your document small enough for whatever portal you're fighting with.
Drag & drop files here
or browse to choose
100% private — files are processed in your browser and never uploaded.
How to Compress PDF for Upload
- 1
Add your document
Drop in the PDF that keeps getting rejected by the upload form.
- 2
Compress to fit
Medium compression handles most upload limits. If the portal specifies a size, check the output matches.
- 3
Re-upload
Download and try the upload again. The file format stays standard PDF — no compatibility issues.
Common Upload Limits You'll Hit
Job application portals (Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse) typically allow 2-5MB per document. College application systems like Common App cap at 500KB for supplemental documents. Government portals vary wildly — some allow 10MB, others enforce 200KB.
The frustrating part is that most portals don't tell you the limit until the upload fails. Some show a vague 'file too large' error with no indication of what size they actually accept. When that happens, start with medium compression and work down.
Scanned documents are the usual offender. If you scanned your transcript at 300 DPI in color, each page is roughly 3MB. A 10-page transcript hits 30MB before you realize it. Medium compression brings that down to 2-4MB total.
Frequently Asked Questions
The upload keeps failing but doesn't say why. What should I do?
Compress to under 2MB first — that clears most limits. If it still fails, try 500KB. Also check that the portal accepts PDF format specifically; some only accept DOCX or images.
Will HR systems reject a compressed PDF?
No. Compressed PDFs are standard files. ATS systems (applicant tracking) parse them identically to uncompressed PDFs.
Should I compress my resume?
A well-made resume PDF is usually 100-300KB already. Only compress if you've added images, graphics, or if it was exported from a design tool like Canva which embeds full fonts.