Click the drop zone or drag & drop your PDF file. It's read directly in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere.
Choose Low, Recommended or High compression depending on how small you need the file and how much quality you can trade off.
See the before/after file size instantly, then download your smaller PDF ready to upload to any portal.
| Identity/address proof PDF | Max 300 KB |
| Both sides required | Merged into one PDF |
| Format accepted |
| Identity/address proof PDF | Max 300 KB (typical) |
| Both sides required | Merged into one PDF |
| Format accepted |
Note: portals occasionally revise these limits. Always confirm the current number on the official NSDL or UTIITSL site before submitting, and adjust the target size above if it differs from 300 KB.
Understanding this makes it obvious why the same tool that shrinks a text-heavy PDF barely helps a photographed one, and vice versa.
| Document type | Why it's large | What compression can do |
|---|---|---|
| Phone photo of Aadhaar/ID | Full-resolution camera image, often 3–8 MB | Large reduction — usually 90%+ smaller |
| Flatbed scanner PDF | High-DPI scan, sometimes saved uncompressed | Large reduction — similar to a photo |
| Exported from Word/Docs | Mostly text, already efficiently encoded | Small reduction — there's little left to compress |
| Already-compressed PDF | Someone else already ran it through a similar tool | Little to no further reduction possible |
If your file is the first or second type here, this tool will typically get you from a few MB down to well under 300 KB in one pass.
Compression can't fix a document that was scanned badly in the first place — these are the things worth checking first.
Most portals want Aadhaar front and back merged into one file — check yours has both pages before compressing.
If you can't read the ID number clearly at normal zoom, compression will only make it worse — rescan first.
These get "baked in" by compression just like any other detail — worth a clean rescan rather than editing around them.
300 KB is the common NSDL/UTIITSL number, but always double-check the exact figure on the page you're uploading to.
A renamed .jpg or .heic won't open correctly here — use the Image to PDF tool first if you're starting from a photo file.
The compressed file downloads with "-compressed" added to its name — know where your browser saves downloads.
None of these are about the compression itself — they're what happens right before or right after it.
Squeezing a multi-page scan down to 50 KB usually means text becomes unreadable. Start at 300 KB and only go lower if the portal specifically demands it.
After downloading, double-check your browser's download folder for the "-compressed" file — it's easy to accidentally re-select the original.
Running a file through multiple different compressors in a row degrades quality further each time without shrinking much more. One pass, on the original, is enough.
If the tool tells you it couldn't hit your target, it's giving you the smallest file it could produce — the portal will still reject it if that's still over the limit. Rescan at a lower source resolution instead.
Heavy compression occasionally makes one page's text harder to read than the other. Open the result and check both sides before submitting.
NSDL and UTIITSL commonly cap supporting documents at 300 KB, but other government forms use different limits entirely — always check the specific page you're uploading to.
The maximum file size you want the compressed PDF to be — the tool works backward from this number to decide how much quality to sacrifice.
One combination of resolution and JPEG quality the tool tries. It starts at the highest rung and steps down until the result fits your target.
How large each page is rendered before compression. A lower scale means fewer pixels to encode, which shrinks the file but can soften fine text.
How much detail is kept when each page is re-encoded as an image. Lower quality means smaller file size and more visible compression artifacts.
Any government-issued ID used to confirm who you are and where you live — Aadhaar, passport, voter ID and similar documents all qualify.
The compressed output isn't your original file edited in place — each page is re-rendered as an image and assembled into a brand-new PDF.
Rough timing, based on how NSDL and UTIITSL usually process a clean application.
If the file is under the size limit and legible, the portal accepts it immediately — no manual review at this stage.
Your supporting document is checked against the details you entered. This is the stage where illegible or mismatched documents get flagged.
A digital copy lands in your registered email — usable immediately for most purposes that ask for a PAN.
The printed card is mailed to your registered address. Delivery time varies by location and courier load.