Compress PDF

Reduce a PDF's file size to fit a portal upload limit. Runs entirely in your browser.

Your inputs stay in your browser - nothing you type is sent to a server

Drop a PDF here or click to upload

PDF only, up to 40.00 MB and 50 pages

Target size (KB)

Compression works by rendering each page to an image and recompressing it, so selectable text becomes part of the image. That is ideal for scanned documents (photos, certificates, admit cards) - the sarkari case. When a PDF needs compressing, files over 50 pages or 40.00 MBare declined rather than truncated, so a submission is never left incomplete (a PDF already under your target is returned as-is). Nothing is uploaded; everything runs in your browser.

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Quick facts

Quick facts about the Compress PDF tool
What it does	Reduces an existing PDF's file size to a target you set in KB
Best for	Scanned documents: certificates, marksheets, admit cards, KYC papers
How it works	Renders each page to an image, recompresses it as JPEG, and rebuilds the PDF
Text after compressing	Becomes part of the image, so it is no longer selectable or searchable
Already under target	Returned unchanged, so its text stays intact (whatever its page count)
Page and size limits	Up to 50 pages and 40 MB when compression is needed; larger files are declined, never truncated
Typical portal cap	Commonly 200 KB to 2 MB per file (always confirm the official notification)
Password-protected PDFs	Not supported; remove the password first
Privacy	100% in your browser; the file is never uploaded
Cost	Free, with no sign-up or watermark

Compress a PDF to a Portal Upload Limit

Government and exam portals often cap the size of an uploaded PDF, commonly somewhere between 200 KB and 2 MB. A scanned certificate, admit card, or Form 16 photographed on a phone can easily exceed that. This tool reduces the file size right in your browser: set a target in kilobytes, and each page is recompressed until the PDF fits under the limit.

Scanned certificates and marksheets - shrink to fit an admission or job form.
Admit cards and hall tickets - reduce before re-uploading where required.
KYC and bank documents - meet a strict per-file cap.

How the Compression Works

Each page is rendered to an image and then recompressed as a JPEG, so any selectable text becomes part of the image. This is the right trade-off for scanned documents, which are already images. If you need a PDF whose text stays selectable and searchable, do not compress it this way. For building a PDF from photos instead, use the image to PDF tool, which also has an optional size target.

Your File Never Leaves Your Device

The whole process runs in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your PDF is not uploaded to any server, which matters for documents that carry personal or identity information. Confirm the exact upload limit in the official notification or the portal's instructions before you submit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compress a PDF to 200 KB?+

Upload the PDF, set the target size to 200 (or use the 200 KB preset), and click Compress PDF. The tool renders each page and recompresses it until the whole file fits under the limit, then gives you the smaller PDF to download. If your target is very small for the number of pages, it produces the closest size it can and tells you, so you can raise the target a little.

Will the text in my PDF stay selectable after compressing?+

No. This tool compresses by turning each page into an image, so any selectable or searchable text becomes part of the image. That is the right trade-off for scanned documents (certificates, admit cards, marksheets), which are already images. If you need the text to stay selectable, do not compress it this way.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?+

No. The whole process runs in your browser with client-side JavaScript, so your PDF never leaves your device. This matters for documents that carry personal or identity information, such as KYC papers, bank statements, or government certificates.

Why is my compressed PDF still larger than the target?+

A PDF has some fixed structural overhead, and image quality can only be reduced so far before a page becomes unreadable, so a very small target on a multi-page document may not be reachable. The tool always returns the smallest version it could produce and flags whether it met the target, so you can raise the limit for better quality or split the document first.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?+

No. A protected PDF has to be unlocked with its password before it can be read, and this tool cannot open an encrypted file. Remove the password in your PDF reader or the app that created the file, then compress the unlocked copy.

My PDF has more than 50 pages. What should I do?+

When a PDF needs compressing, the tool caps it at 50 pages and declines larger ones instead of quietly dropping the extra pages, because a truncated application or admit card could be rejected. Split it into smaller PDFs first (the Split PDF tool does this), compress each part, and upload them as the portal allows. A PDF that is already under your target is returned as-is, whatever its page count.

How is this different from the Image to PDF tool's size option?+

Image to PDF builds a fresh PDF from photos and can cap that output size. Compress PDF takes a PDF you already have, such as a scan or a downloaded document, and shrinks it. Use Image to PDF when you are creating the file, and Compress PDF when the file already exists and is too big.

What PDF size do government and exam portals usually allow?+

It varies by portal and form, but per-file caps commonly fall between 200 KB and 2 MB. The exact number is stated in the official notification or on the upload page. Set that as your target here, and always confirm it before you submit.