PDF Compress
Reduce PDF file size by removing metadata, annotations and optimizing structure. Processed entirely in your browser.
This tool optimizes PDF structure and removes metadata. For image-heavy PDFs, compression results may vary. For maximum compression, use a dedicated tool like Smallpdf.
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When and Why to Compress PDF Files
Large PDF files cause problems when emailing (Gmail's 25 MB attachment limit), uploading to portals (government forms often have 2–5 MB limits), sharing via WhatsApp (100 MB limit) or slow loading on websites. Our PDF Compress tool optimises the PDF structure and removes hidden metadata to reduce file size. Note: for maximum compression of image-heavy PDFs, re-exporting from the original document at lower resolution gives better results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to reduce PDF file size below 1 MB online? ▼
Upload your PDF to our compressor. For PDFs with lots of text, structure optimisation can help. For best compression of image-heavy PDFs (scanned documents, presentations), use Smallpdf, iLovePDF or compress images before PDF creation.
Why is my PDF file so large? ▼
Common causes of large PDFs: high-resolution embedded images, uncompressed fonts, embedded multimedia, hidden metadata layers, revision history saved in the file, and redundant object streams. Our compressor removes metadata and optimises object streams.
How to compress a PDF to email it? ▼
For PDFs with mostly text and minimal images, our compressor removes metadata and optimises structure, which helps. For image-heavy PDFs, re-exporting from PowerPoint or Word at "Compress images" setting gives the best results before creating the PDF.
What is the maximum PDF size for WhatsApp? ▼
WhatsApp allows document files up to 100 MB. Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB (25,600 KB). Most government portal uploads require under 2 MB. Use our compressor to help meet these limits.