There is no upload endpoint — your files are processed in this browser tab. Open your network tab and check. See how it stays private.
How to compress a PDF
- Add the PDF. Drop the PDF you want to shrink onto the tool or browse for it.
- Pick a level. Choose how aggressively to compress — a balance between smaller size and visual quality.
- Compress. Run the compression locally and compare the new size.
- Download. Save the smaller PDF to your device.
Email attachment caps and portal upload limits are the usual reason people compress a PDF. The biggest wins come from scanned documents, where each page is a large photo that can be re-encoded at a more reasonable resolution.
Pick a level that trades size against fidelity: lighter settings keep images crisp, heavier settings maximize savings. Text and vector graphics are untouched, so readability is preserved regardless of the level you choose.
If your goal before sending is to combine several files first, use Merge, then compress the result. For scans you also want to search, run OCR; and to permanently remove sensitive content before sharing, use Redact.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my PDF so large?
High-resolution scanned images are usually the cause. Compression re-encodes those images at a smaller size, which is where most of the savings come from.
Will compressing blur my text?
Text stays sharp — it is vector data. Only raster images are re-compressed, so choose a lighter level if photos matter.
Is the file uploaded to compress it?
No. Compression happens in your browser tab; the document's bytes never leave your device.
How small can it get?
It depends on the content. Image-heavy scans can shrink dramatically; PDFs that are mostly text are already small and change little.