PDF too large to upload - fix it in the right order
The rejection is almost never your document's fault - it is how the file was made. Scanners default to very high resolution, phones embed full-size photos, and some apps save PDFs without any compression. The result is a ten-page file that weighs 15 MB and hits a 2 MB wall.
Fix it in this order. First try Compress PDF with the exact target your portal shows - its lossless first step alone fixes many files with zero quality change. If the file is still over, remove pages the portal does not need, then compress again. Splitting the document is the last resort, for portals that accept several files.
How to do it
- Note the exact cap the portal shows.
- Run Compress PDF with that target and check the final size.
- If still over, remove unneeded pages with Delete and Organize Pages and compress again.
- If the portal allows multiple files, split the document into parts under the cap.
Common questions
Why is my small document so heavy?
Usually high-resolution scans or embedded photos. One scanned page at 600 DPI can outweigh a whole typed document.
Will compressing make my document unreadable?
The tool keeps the clearest version that fits your target and reports honestly. At sensible caps, text stays perfectly readable.
Are my files uploaded while fixing them?
No. Every fix on this page runs in your browser.
Related tools
Every tool on PDFExactSize
Merge PDF · Split PDF · Compress PDF · Compress Picture · Rotate PDF · Delete and Organize Pages · Images to PDF · PDF to JPG or PNG · Add Watermark · Add Page Numbers · Add Text to PDF · Sign PDF · Crop PDF · Extract Text · PDF to Markdown · PDF to Word · Fill PDF Forms · Flatten PDF · Bates Numbering · Compare PDF · PDF to HTML · Repair PDF · Redact PDF · Text to PDF · PDF Metadata Editor · Reverse Page Order · Duplicate Pages · Image Converter · QR Code Generator · Extract Images from PDF · Resize PDF Pages · N-Up (Pages per Sheet) · PDF to Grayscale