How to compress a PDF online free
Reduce your PDF file size so it is easy to email or upload. This compressor works best for scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs. Note: pages are rebuilt as optimized images, so text becomes non-selectable, ideal for scans, photos, and forms. Everything runs in your browser; your file is never uploaded.
Read the guide: How to Compress a PDF →
Your files never leave this page. Everything runs inside your browser using standard web APIs. No copy is uploaded to a server, which means nothing to store, nothing to leak and nothing to delete later.
You do not have to take our word for it. Press F12, open the Network tab, and run the tool. You will see no request carrying your file. Most online converters upload your document and process it remotely, which is why they need a privacy policy explaining how long they keep it. This one does not.
When to use it
Scanned documents are often far larger than they need to be, because every page is stored as a full resolution image. Compressing brings the file under typical upload limits without retyping anything.
- An upload form rejects your PDF for exceeding a size limit.
- A scanned certificate is several megabytes per page.
- You are emailing a document and the attachment is too heavy to send.
Using the tool
- Add the PDF you want to compress.
- Run the compression and wait for it to finish.
- Check the result is still readable, then download it.
Practical notes
- Always open the compressed file and read it before submitting. Aggressive compression can make small text on scans hard to read.
- If the file is large because it contains photographs, compressing images before creating the PDF gives a better result.
- Text based PDFs exported from a word processor are usually already small. If yours is huge, it is most likely a scan.
Applying for jobs with this file
Getting the file right is only the first step. The application form behind it still asks for your details and a set of screening questions, and that is where most of the time goes. VeloApply fills those repeated fields from a profile you build once and drafts the written answers, then highlights everything so you review it and submit yourself.
Common questions
Why is my scanned PDF so large?
Scanners store each page as a full resolution image rather than as text, which is far heavier than a document exported from a word processor.
Will compressing a PDF make it unreadable?
It should not at moderate settings, but small text on scans is the first thing to suffer. Always check the file before you send it.
What size should a resume PDF be?
A text based resume is usually well under one megabyte. If yours is much larger, it is probably a scan or contains oversized images.
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Everything runs in your browser. Your files are not uploaded to a server.
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