Compress a PDF for email
Make your PDF smaller — down to 100 KB, 200 KB or 1 MB.
Your last job here stopped before it finished
The phone probably ran out of memory. Lighter settings are now on for this tab, so try again — or split a big PDF into parts first.
Drop your PDF here
PDF up to 200 MB · Your file never leaves your device.
How it works
Drop the PDF and it is made smaller straight away, aiming for under 18 MB — the real ceiling for a Gmail attachment. If your file is already under that, you are told so and it is left as it is. Press Download and attach the new file to your email. Nothing is uploaded, there is no account and there is no daily limit.
Why 18 MB and not 25 MB
Gmail and Yahoo say attachments can be up to 25 MB. What they don't say is that email sends files in a text form that is about one third bigger than the file itself. A 22 MB PDF becomes nearly 30 MB on the way out, and Gmail refuses it or turns it into a Drive link. Keeping the PDF under 18 MB leaves room for that overhead and for the message itself, so it goes as a normal attachment the other person can simply open.
Other email services
- Gmail and Yahoo Mail: 25 MB per email, so up to about 18 MB of PDF. This page starts there.
- Outlook.com: 20 MB per email, so type about 14 MB as your size.
- Office and college email: limits are often 10 MB, so type about 7 MB. If a message bounces with "too large", go lower.
- Several attachments in one email: the limit is for the whole email, so share the space between them.
Text stays sharp when it can
PDFs made on a computer usually shrink without touching the text, so it stays crisp and searchable. Scans are made smaller by lowering the picture detail just enough to reach the size, with a preview so you can check it before sending. If the size can't be reached without making pages unreadable, you are told plainly.
Good companions
Too big even at 18 MB? Split it with Split PDF and send it in two emails. Joining several files into one attachment? Use Merge PDF first. Sending on WhatsApp instead? See Compress PDF for WhatsApp.
Privacy
Your PDF is compressed on your own device and never leaves it. Unlike "send large file" services, nothing is stored on anyone else's server.
Questions people ask
How do I make a PDF small enough to email?
Drop it on this page. It is compressed to under 18 MB, which fits Gmail's 25 MB limit; press Download and attach the new file.
Gmail allows 25 MB. Why aim for 18 MB?
Email sends attachments in a form about one third bigger than the file. An 18 MB PDF becomes about 25 MB in the email, so it still fits.
What size should I use for office email?
Many office and college servers allow 10 MB per email. Type about 7 MB as the size to be safe.
Will the PDF still be readable?
Yes. Text from computer-made PDFs stays sharp, and scans are reduced only as much as needed, with a preview before you send.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. It is compressed in your browser on your own device, so it never leaves it.