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Merge PDF
Combine several PDF files into one document, in the order you choose.
Compress a PDF to under 1 MB
A 1 MB limit is common on government websites, school platforms and claim forms. Start with the Recommended level: it often brings multi-megabyte scans under that limit while keeping every page easy to read.
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Next time, do it in one click
With the Chrome extension, right-click any PDF to compress it here, without downloading or re-uploading it.
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Tip: with our Chrome extension, just right-click a PDF to open it here. Get it free
How to compress a PDF to 1 MB
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Step 1: Select or drop your PDF.
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Step 2: Leave the Recommended level on and click Compress PDF.
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Step 3: Check the new size shown with the result. If it is still over 1 MB, start again with the Extreme level.
Choosing the right level for a 1 MB limit
1 MB is plenty for a long text document, but not for a stack of high-resolution photos. Recommended compression resamples images to a screen-friendly resolution, and images are where most of the weight sits in scanned and photographed pages.
If you still miss the target, switch to Extreme, which reduces images further. For very long files, splitting the document into two parts of under 1 MB each is often accepted and keeps the quality you need.
The exact final size can't be predicted in advance: it depends on the pages and images in your file. That's why the size before and after compression is shown next to the download button, so you can check it before uploading.
Frequently asked questions
Will my PDF be exactly 1 MB?
No. Compression removes what it can, and the result depends on your file. Most scanned documents shrink well, while text-only PDFs are already small and change less.
Should I choose Extreme straight away?
Not necessarily. Recommended keeps images sharper and is often enough for a 1 MB limit. Use Extreme only if the first result is still too big.
How do I know the size of the compressed file?
The original and new sizes are displayed as soon as compression finishes, along with the percentage saved.
What happens to my file afterwards?
The uploaded PDF is deleted after processing. The compressed version stays downloadable for 30 minutes and is then deleted automatically.
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