Compress PDF reduces the size of a PDF so it fits inside an upload limit or an email attachment. Choose how hard to compress, check the result, and download. The whole process runs in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.
The 2 MB problem
Almost every submission form sets a ceiling. Recruitment portals commonly allow 1 MB or 2 MB per document. Email providers cut off around 25 MB. Court and tender e-filing systems are often stricter still. Meanwhile a phone-scanned five-page document routinely lands at 12 MB, because every page is a full-resolution photograph.
Compression closes that gap by making the images inside the PDF lighter. The document keeps its pages, its order and its layout — it simply stops carrying more image detail than anyone will ever look at.
How to compress a PDF
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Add the fileDrop your PDF onto the page or browse for it. The original size is shown so you know what you are working against.
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Pick a compression levelA lighter setting keeps more detail; a stronger setting produces a much smaller file. Match the level to the limit you have to hit.
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Compare before and afterCheck the new size and look at a page or two. Small print and stamps are where over-compression shows first.
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DownloadSave the compressed copy. Your original file is untouched, so you can try a different level if the first pass went too far.
What compression actually removes
Nearly all the weight in a large PDF sits in its images. A scan captured at 600 DPI holds four times the pixel data of the same page at 300 DPI, and far more than a screen or an ordinary printer can reproduce. Compression reduces that surplus detail and re-encodes the images more efficiently.
This has a useful consequence: a document made of text created in Word or exported from a design program is already small, and compressing it will save very little, because there is no image bulk to remove. If a text-based PDF is still too large, the cause is usually embedded fonts or an unusually long page count, and splitting the file will help more than compressing it.
Choosing a level without ruining the document
Start light
Try the gentlest setting first. It often clears the limit on its own and costs you nothing visible.
Check the small text
Zoom into a document number, a seal or a signature. Those degrade before headings do.
Mind official copies
Certificates and identity documents must stay legible to a reviewer. Under-compress rather than over-compress.
Drop pages first
Removing pages nobody asked for saves more than any compression setting can.
Compress once
Repeated passes stack the losses. Go back to the original and use a stronger setting instead.
Keep the master
The compressed file is for sending. Archive the full-quality version separately.
No upload, no server copy
Compression happens inside your browser, using your device’s own processing. Your PDF is never transmitted to filecrafthub.com or to any third-party compression service, and no copy exists anywhere but on your machine.
Since the files people compress are usually the ones headed for an official submission — mark sheets, identity proofs, bank documents, tender papers — that removes the usual worry about how long an unknown server keeps them. It keeps nothing, because it never receives anything.
When compression is not the answer
If you are still far above the limit after a strong setting, the file is probably carrying pages you do not need to send. Extracting the relevant section is almost always the bigger saving, and it also means the recipient sees less of your paperwork than they otherwise would.
Compression is lossy, which means the discarded detail cannot be recovered by decompressing. Always work from your original when you need a fresh attempt, and never overwrite the full-quality copy with a compressed one.
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends on the content. Scanned documents often shrink dramatically; text-only PDFs are already efficient and change very little.
Will the document still be readable?
At light and medium settings, yes. Strong compression can soften small print, so check before submitting anything official.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs in your browser and the document never leaves your device.
Can I undo the compression?
No. It is lossy, so keep your original file — it is never modified by the tool.
Why did my PDF barely shrink?
It is likely text-based rather than scanned. There is little image data to remove, so splitting the file is usually the better route.
Does compressing change the page order or layout?
No. Pages, sequence and layout stay exactly as they were. Only the image data inside them is reduced.
Is there a watermark or a daily limit?
Neither. The tool is free and unlimited, and adds nothing to your document.
Related tools
Building the file from photographs? Compress the pictures with Compress Images before converting — that removes the weight at source and beats compressing the finished PDF.