Compress PDF to 200KB
Make a PDF smaller than 200 KB for online forms, applications and portals. Scanned pages get smaller, text stays sharp, and the file never leaves your device.
Free, no sign-up. Everything runs in your browser.
or drop a PDF here
One PDF, up to 100 MB and 500 pages. The result is under 200 KB (199,999 bytes or less).
Your file stays on your device
Need a different size? Compress PDF to 100KB or Compress PDF to 500KB
Step by step
How to use Compress PDF to 200KB
- 1
Choose your PDF
Pick one PDF or drag it onto the box. You see its name and size straight away, and whether it is already under 200 KB.
- 2
Compress
Press Compress to under 200 KB. The tool cleans up the file, then makes the photos and scans inside it smaller, step by step, until it fits.
- 3
Check and download
You see the size before and after and how much was saved. Download the PDF and open it once to check that every page is easy to read.
Overview
About Compress PDF to 200KB
Many online application forms ask for supporting documents under 200 KB, such as mark sheets, certificates or proof of address. 200 KB is enough for a few scanned pages at a resolution that is still comfortable to read, so this tool aims for the highest quality that stays under the limit instead of squeezing every page as hard as possible.
It works in steps. First the file is cleaned up without losing anything: hidden metadata, page thumbnails and leftovers of earlier edits are removed and uncompressed parts are packed. If that is not enough, the photos and scanned pages inside the PDF are made smaller in pixels and saved as JPG at a lower quality. The tool tries the strongest setting first to see whether 200 KB can be reached at all, then searches for the mildest setting that still fits, so the file keeps as much quality as the limit allows.
When shrinking the images is not enough, for example for a PDF that is mostly text with large fonts or a long scan, every page is saved as one compact picture so the file still gets under 200 KB. Pages with photos become a JPG; pages of text become a sharp black-and-white picture, which keeps letters crisp at a very small size. Page order, page size and orientation always stay the same.
Everything runs in your browser: the PDF is not uploaded, and your original file is never changed. You download a new copy.
When it helps
- Upload mark sheets, certificates or proof of address to an application form with a 200 KB limit
- Shrink a multi-page scan made with a phone scanner app
- Make a PDF of photographed documents small enough for a job or admission portal
- Reduce a PDF that a website rejected as too big
Specs
Supported files and limits
- Works with
- PDF files, including scans and PDFs made from photos
- Largest file
- 100 MB and 500 pages
- Target size
- Under 200 KB means at most 199,999 bytes, so it passes whether a site counts 1 KB as 1000 or 1024 bytes
- What gets smaller
- Photos and scanned images (JPG and most other colour or grey images), plus hidden data. Fonts and text are kept
- Not supported
- Password-protected PDFs (remove the password first). Black-and-white fax-style scans are left as they are because they are already small
- Time limit
- About 3 minutes per file. If it runs out, the best file so far is kept
- Where it runs
- In your browser. Nothing is uploaded
What fits in 200 KB?
A rough guide only. The real result depends on how the PDF was made, how much colour it has and how busy the pages are.
| Likely result | Tip | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 scanned pages | Usually fits with clear detail | Little quality is lost at this size |
| 3 to 5 scanned pages | Often fits and stays readable | Plain white paper and dark ink help |
| 6 or more scanned pages | Fits, at a lower resolution per page | Split the PDF or use 500 KB if allowed, for sharper pages |
| Text PDF from Word or a website | Fits. Short files keep selectable text | Remove pages you do not need |
Good to know
- The result is always checked: it is only called done when the file really is 199,999 bytes or less.
- If the pages had to be saved as pictures to reach the size, their text can no longer be selected, searched or copied. This only happens when shrinking the images inside is not enough.
- Photos and scans lose some detail. Small print in a scan is the first thing to suffer, so always open the result and check it before you upload.
- Images are saved as colour JPG. Images with transparency masks keep their mask; images in CMYK or special colour spaces are left unchanged.
- Very long files have less room per page. A PDF with dozens of pages fits in 200 KB only at a low resolution; split it if the pages must stay sharp.
Fix a problem
Troubleshooting
The pages look less sharp than before
Many pages had to share 200 KB. Remove pages the form does not need, or, if the form allows more, use Compress PDF to 500KB.
Small print in my mark sheet is hard to read
Scan or photograph the page closer and in good light, so the text is larger in the picture, then make the PDF and compress it again.
It says the PDF is password protected
Open it in your PDF reader with the password and save or print it as a new PDF without one, then try again.
The page closed or the browser froze
The file was too big for your device's memory. Close other tabs, use a computer, or split the PDF into parts first.
The portal still says the file is too big
This tool keeps the file under 199,999 bytes. If the portal still refuses it, its limit may be lower than it says; try the next size down (Compress PDF to 100KB).
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF to 200 KB for an online form?
Choose the PDF, press Compress to under 200 KB, and download the result. The size before and after is shown, so you can see that it is under the form's limit before you upload it.
How do I reduce a scanned document PDF to 200 KB?
Scanned pages are images, which this tool makes smaller in pixels and quality until the file fits. Three to five clean pages usually fit in 200 KB and stay readable.
Will the PDF look worse after compressing?
Photos and scans lose some fine detail; text that is real text does not change at all. The tool stops at the mildest setting that fits under 200 KB, so it does not compress more than needed.
What if the form says 200 KB but my file is 190 KB and still rejected?
Some sites set a lower real limit than they show. Compress it again with Compress PDF to 100KB, or remove a page.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is read and compressed inside your browser and never leaves your device, which matters for ID cards, certificates and bank papers.
Is 200 KB counted as 200000 or 204800 bytes?
Sites differ, so the tool keeps the file at 199,999 bytes or less. That is under 200 KB either way. The result shows the size in KB and in exact bytes.
Will my text still be selectable?
Usually yes: first only the images are made smaller and text stays text. If that is not enough to reach the size, the pages are saved as pictures, and then the text can no longer be selected.
Is the original file changed?
No. You download a new copy. The PDF on your device stays exactly as it was.
Is it free?
Yes. Free, no sign-up and no watermark.
Keep going
What to do next
- Does the form allow 100 KB instead? Use Compress PDF to 100KB. Open Compress PDF to 100KB
- Does the form allow 500 KB instead? Use Compress PDF to 500KB. Open Compress PDF to 500KB
- Pages you do not need make the file bigger. Delete them first with Remove Pages. Open Remove Pages
- Too many pages to fit? Upload them in parts made with Split PDF. Open Split PDF
- Making the PDF from phone photos? Build it with Image to PDF, then compress it here. Open Image to PDF
Explore