How to use the Compress PDF tool
3 simple steps · under a minute
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Select your PDF
Choose the PDF you want to shrink, or drop it into the box.
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Pick a compression level
Recommended suits most files. Extreme gives the smallest size; Light keeps the most detail.
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Download the smaller PDF
Press “Compress PDF”, check how much space you saved, and download the result.
About Compress PDF file
Email services, job portals and government forms often reject PDFs above a few megabytes. Compressing the PDF lowers its size so it fits those limits. This tool redraws each page as an optimised image at the resolution you choose, which works especially well for scanned documents and image-heavy files.
Because pages are converted to images, text in the compressed file can no longer be selected or searched. Keep your original if you need to copy text from it later.
Three compression levels
Balance file size and quality with Light, Recommended or Extreme compression.
See your savings
The tool shows the size before and after, so you know exactly how much you saved.
Private by design
Compression runs in your browser; the PDF is never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my PDF be?
It depends on the content. Scanned and image-heavy PDFs often shrink by 50–90%. PDFs that are mostly plain text are usually already small and may not shrink much.
Which compression level should I choose?
Recommended is a good balance for most documents. Choose Extreme when you need the smallest file, and Light when the document has fine detail such as small print or drawings.
Will the text still be selectable?
No. Each page is converted to an image to save space, so text cannot be selected or searched in the compressed copy. Your original file is not changed.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. Compression happens in your web browser, so your document stays on your device.