Compress PDF to 100KB
Many government portals, job applications and exam registrations reject PDFs above 100 KB. This tool automatically finds the settings that bring your document under that limit — without uploading it anywhere.
100% private: files are processed in your browser and never uploaded to any server.
How it works
- Drop your PDF into the box — the 100 KB target is already set.
- The tool compresses in progressively stronger steps until the file fits under 100 KB.
- Download the result and check the final size shown next to the file.
Why 100 KB is such a common limit
100 KB is one of the strictest caps you will meet online, and it shows up mostly on government portals, exam registrations and job-application forms. These systems store millions of uploads, so they keep each one tiny to control storage and bandwidth. The limit is rarely about quality — they just need a readable document that fits in a very small box.
What realistically fits in 100 KB
A short document of one to a few pages fits comfortably and stays perfectly legible. A single scanned page — an ID, a certificate, a signed form — is the classic 100 KB use case and compresses well. Where it gets hard is long documents: squeezing 20 image-heavy pages into 100 KB forces such aggressive compression that quality suffers. If that is your situation, split the document first and send only the pages that are actually required.
How the tool reaches the target
Hitting an exact size cannot be done in smart mode alone, so this preset rasterizes the pages and then searches for the right settings automatically. It compresses, checks the result, and if the file is still over 100 KB it steps down to a lower resolution and quality, repeating until the document fits. Because it rasterizes, the text in the output is part of the page image and can no longer be selected — an unavoidable consequence of guaranteeing such a small size, and exactly what these portals expect.
Frequently asked questions
Will my PDF still be readable at 100 KB?
For documents of a few pages, yes — text remains perfectly legible. Very long documents must be compressed so aggressively that quality drops; consider splitting them first with the Split PDF tool.
Will the text still be selectable?
No. Hitting a strict size target requires converting pages to images, so text can no longer be selected or copied. Portals that impose these limits only require the document to be readable.
What if 100 KB cannot be reached?
The tool tries increasingly aggressive settings and keeps the smallest result. If the target is impossible for your document, you get the smallest achievable file and a notice.
Is my document uploaded during compression?
No. Everything happens in your browser; the PDF never leaves your device.
My document will not reach 100 KB. What now?
It is probably too long or too detailed for that cap. Split it with the Split PDF tool and compress only the required pages, or check whether the portal actually accepts a slightly larger file.
Is a scanned ID a good fit for this?
Yes — a single scanned page is the ideal case. It compresses to well under 100 KB while staying clearly legible.