How to reduce PDF file size for email

1 min read·24 July 2026

Most email providers accept attachments up to 10 or 25 MB. PDF too large to email? A few steps and it will always go through.

How much smaller does it need to be?

Gmail accepts attachments up to 25 MB, Outlook up to 20 MB. If your PDF is larger, you need to reduce it. For WhatsApp and other messaging apps the limit is often 16 or 100 MB. Check the error message for the exact limit.

Compress a PDF on PDFrust

Use the "Compress PDF" tool on PDFrust. Choose the compression strength — light (small quality reduction), medium or strong. For scans and image-heavy PDFs the file often shrinks 50–80%. The compression happens locally in your browser, no upload needed.

Compress PDF

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Remove specific pages

Only a part of the PDF needed? Use the "Split PDF" tool to keep only the relevant pages. Fewer pages = smaller file, even without compression.

If compression is not enough

Is the PDF still above 20 MB after compressing? Use a cloud storage service (Google Drive, WeTransfer, Dropbox) and include only the link in the email. Most recipients can access it without any trouble.