How to Compress a PDF to an Exact Size (100 KB, 200 KB, 1 MB)

Government portals, job sites and exam forms often say the same thing: "Upload PDF, maximum 200 KB." Your scanned file is 3 MB. Normal compression makes it smaller, but you do not know if it will be small enough, and you end up trying again and again.

The better way is to tell the tool the size you need. Compress to Size shrinks the PDF towards your target.

When do you need an exact size?

• A form or portal with a limit such as 100 KB, 200 KB or 500 KB
• Email or upload fields that reject files above 1 MB or 2 MB
• Documents for visa, job, admission or exam applications
• Sending many files on a slow internet connection

How to compress a PDF to an exact size step by step

1. Open the Compress to Size tool. Use the button at the top of this page to open Pdfyra Workspace.
2. Add your PDF. Tap Select PDF file, or drop the file in. You can also pick it from Google Drive or Dropbox. The current size of your file is shown.
3. Choose the target size. Tap 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB or 2 MB. Or type your own number and pick KB or MB.
4. Tap Compress to this size. Pdfyra creates a new, smaller PDF.
5. Check the result. Look at the new file size, then open it and make sure the text is clear.

Tips

Use the size the form asks for. Read the rules on the portal and choose the same number, or slightly below it.

Do not go smaller than needed. A very small target means heavy compression, and images can become blurry.

Check the text. Read the important parts, such as names and numbers, after compressing.

Start with fewer pages. Remove pages you do not need, and the file gets smaller by itself. See how to delete pages from a PDF or how to extract pages from a PDF.

Photos of documents? Turn them into one PDF first. See how to convert images to PDF.

Combining files? Merge first, then compress the final file. Here is how to merge PDF files on your phone.

Just need a smaller file, no exact size? See how to compress a PDF.

Many files at once? See how to compress multiple PDFs.

Need a photo for the same form? See how to change photo background for exam forms.

Ready to hit the size limit?

Open the tool, add your PDF, choose the size and get a file that fits in a few taps.