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Compress PDF to 500 KB

Choose a PDF and the tool will try to fit it in 500 KB. The pages stay the same, and text from the original can still be selected and searched.

Files never leave your device

Drop a PDF here or click to choose one

Choose a PDF first.

How to compress a PDF below 500 KB

  1. 1

    Choose a PDF

    Click Choose PDF or drag the file onto the page. The file stays on your device.

  2. 2

    Click Compress PDF

    The 500 KB limit is already set, so there is nothing to type. If the PDF is already under 500 KB, you get it back unchanged.

  3. 3

    Check the result

    You will see the size before and after. If the file cannot get down to 500 KB, the page tells you how much too big it is and shows the Try a lower resolution button.

  4. 4

    Download the file

    Before the download we check that the smaller PDF opens, has the same number of pages and has not lost any text.

What fits in 500 KB

Half a megabyte is usually enough for a contract or an invoice with a logo, even over several pages, if it was saved straight from a program. A scan of a signed contract is a different story, because a few colour pages can weigh several megabytes and lose sharpness when squeezed into 500 KB. After downloading, zoom in on signatures, stamps and small print. If they are hard to read, remove pages you do not need or ask the recipient whether a larger file is fine.

Where you will see a 500 KB limit

A 500 KB limit suits contracts, invoices, certificates and other short office documents. The limit is a ceiling, so the finished file usually comes out a little smaller than 500 KB. The tool counts 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and 1 MB as 1,024 KB. If the form counts differently, or you are not sure how it counts, set a custom limit with a small margin on the main Compress PDF page.

A document saved from an editor often fits with no visible change, while for a scan it all depends on the number and quality of the pages. The size of a PDF depends more on photos, scans and fonts than on the number of pages. A text-only document often fits with no visible change, while a scan may need its pages saved at lower quality. After downloading, compare important details, signatures, stamps and thin lines with the original.

What to do if the PDF will not fit in 500 KB

If the file cannot get below 500 KB, you can download the smallest version the tool managed to make and see how far over the limit it is. Then click Try a lower resolution. The file may get smaller still and the text stays selectable, but photos, stamps and thin lines will be less sharp, so look at the result before you send it.

If that is still not enough, cut down the document, not its readability. Use Delete PDF pages to drop pages the recipient does not need, keep only the required ones with Extract PDF pages, or Split PDF into several smaller files. If the recipient accepts bigger files, choose a higher limit in Compress PDF.

Privacy

All processing takes place in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server, and no data remains after you close the page.

FAQ

Will the file be exactly 500 KB?
No. 500 KB is a ceiling, so the finished file is usually a little smaller, and the form only checks that you do not go over the limit. If the PDF is already under 500 KB, you download it unchanged.

What happens if the limit cannot be reached?
You download the smallest version the tool managed to make, and the page tells you how far it is over 500 KB. You can then click Try a lower resolution or remove pages the recipient does not need from the document.

Is the PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is compressed only in your browser and never reaches any server. So you can compress a contract, a bank statement or a scan of your ID card without worrying about who else sees it.

Will the text stay searchable?
Yes, if it was searchable in the original. The smaller file must have the same number of pages and keep at least 98% of the text, or the page rejects it. A scan without OCR contains only pictures of pages, so it cannot be searched.

Why is a scan still large?
Every scanned page is really a photo, so a colour scan of several pages takes up a lot of space even after compression. It helps to send only the pages that are needed, or to scan the document again in black and white or at a lower resolution.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
A PDF that asks for a password when you open it has to be unlocked first. Remove the password with Unlock PDF, compress the file here and, if it needs protecting again, use Password protect PDF.

Will an electronic signature stay valid?
Only if the PDF is already under 500 KB, because then you get it back unchanged. Compressing rewrites the file, so an electronic signature stops being valid. For a signed document, ask the recipient whether a larger file is fine, or compress the PDF before it is signed.

Will the stamp and signature on a scanned contract stay readable?
That depends on the scan and on how far the file has to shrink. With strong compression, thin lines and faint ink can lose sharpness, so zoom in on the stamp and signature after downloading, and if they are hard to read, remove extra pages or ask whether a larger file is accepted.

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