ToolRecipe
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What do you need to get done?

Drop a file here

or .

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Open an app

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Use one tool

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Compress PDF to 500 KB

Shrink a PDF to under 500 KB for upload portals and forms, free and online. The tool re-encodes photos until the file fits and keeps text selectable. Nothing is uploaded: it all runs in your browser.

How to compress a PDF to 500 KB

  1. 1Drop a PDF in, or click to choose one
  2. 2Check the target size: it is set to 500 KB
  3. 3Click Compress, the PDF is saved
  4. A PDF under 500 KB, or the smallest it can be.

What happens to your files

  • Nothing is uploaded.Your PDF is shrunk by your browser, on your own device.
  • Aimed at 500 KB.The tool searches for the best image quality that still fits.
  • Honest result.If 500 KB can't be reached, you see the smallest size it got.

What you can do

  • The target is already filled in as 500 KB. You can change it to any size, for example 150 KB or 1.5 MB.
  • Photos are re-encoded as JPEG at the highest quality that still fits. Text and drawings stay sharp.
  • Metadata and thumbnails are dropped, duplicate objects merged. "Keep metadata" keeps author and dates.
  • "Scan-style pages" turns each page into a picture for a much smaller file, at 150, 100 or 72 dpi.
  • Several photos or a scan of a few pages usually fit in 500 KB at a modest image quality.

Good to know

  • A password-protected PDF is refused. Unlock it first.
  • If the limit can't be reached, you can save the smallest version and then split the PDF or remove pages.
  • Scan-style pages are pictures: text can't be selected and links are gone.
  • The saved file is named name-compressed.pdf.

Questions

How do I get a PDF under 500 KB?

Drop it in and click Compress. The target is already 500 KB. If the first try is too big, the tool lowers the image quality step by step.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The PDF is compressed in your browser and never leaves your device.

Does 500 KB look worse than the original?

Photos get a lower quality or resolution, so fine detail can soften. Text and drawings stay sharp.

What if my PDF can't get under 500 KB?

The tool says so and offers the smallest version. Then try the scan-style option, split the PDF or remove pages.

Related tools

How it works

Small tools that run in your browser.

Four steps

  1. Start with a file or a task

    Drop a file, search, or pick a task.

  2. The tool opens in a window

    Open as many as you like, side by side as tabs.

  3. Results collect on the right

    Drag a result into the next tool.

  4. Save when you're done

    Saved files go to your downloads.

Who uses what

Tool sets for common jobs.

Put a tool on your home screen

The icon opens that tool, like an app.

iPhone and iPad

  1. Open the tool in Safari.
  2. Tap Share (the square with the arrow).
  3. Choose “Add to Home Screen”, then Add.

Android

  1. Open the tool in Chrome.
  2. Tap the menu (⋮) at the top right.
  3. Choose “Add to Home screen” or “Install app”.

Computer

  1. Open the tool in Chrome or Edge.
  2. Click the install icon in the address bar.
  3. Choose Install.

Skills

Claude skills we use ourselves, one job each.