DOCUMENT WORKFLOW
Get a document ready for upload.
From the portal’s requirements to a readable file: check, reduce, and verify before submitting.
An upload rejection does not always mean your document is too large. A portal may require a particular format, exact image dimensions, an unencrypted PDF, or a filename without unusual characters. Changing everything at once makes the problem harder to diagnose. This workflow starts with the requirement and changes only what is necessary.
Before you start
- Keep an untouched copy of the original document.
- Copy the current requirements from the exact field you are uploading to: format, maximum size, and any dimensions or page limit.
- Check whether the portal requires an original digitally signed document. Editing a signed PDF can invalidate its signature.
STEP 01
Write down the field’s requirements
Different fields on the same form can have different limits. A photograph field might accept only JPEG while a certificate field accepts PDF. Do not use an old blog article or another applicant’s screenshot as the authority for the current form.
Record whether dimensions are in pixels or physical units. A file size limit controls bytes; image dimensions control width and height. They are separate checks, so shrinking the dimensions does not prove that the byte limit has been met.
STEP 02
Check what the file actually contains
Use the upload checker to compare the file with the values you recorded. It reads the initial bytes to identify PDF, JPEG, PNG or WebP and compares that to the filename extension. Renaming a .png file to .jpg does not convert it.
The checker uses 1 KB = 1,000 bytes by default, with an option for 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes. If the portal does not explain the unit, allow a little margin below the stated limit. A pass here covers these technical checks only, not identity verification or document acceptance.
Check the original file ↗STEP 03
Change the part that failed
For an oversized scan, first remove blank pages only if they are not required. Then reduce image quality gradually. A document with several detailed pages may not fit a very small limit and remain readable; an honest size result is more useful than a file that hides the important text.
Use a format converter if the format is wrong, rather than changing the extension. For a photograph, follow the requested crop and dimensions before compressing. Keep names, numbers, seals and faces legible. Do not modify a signed original unless the receiving organisation permits it.
Open PDF compression ↗STEP 04
Open the output and check again
Download under a new filename so the source remains intact. Open every page at a normal reading size and zoom into small text. Check that pages are neither missing nor rotated and that the content still matches the requested document.
Run the output through the checker again. The tool reports what you selected, so confirm you are checking the new file rather than the original. Finally upload it to the intended field and review the portal’s preview before submitting.
Verify the final file ↗PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Worked example: a 100 KB field
Suppose a field specifies PDF, maximum 100 KB, and your two-page file is 142,000 bytes. Under a decimal limit it exceeds the allowance by 42,000 bytes. Under a binary interpretation it still exceeds 102,400 bytes. Either way, a smaller output is needed.
If the new file is 94,500 bytes, it passes the size check under both interpretations. That does not tell you whether its text is readable, its signature is valid, or both pages are required. Those are separate checks you must complete before submission. These numbers are illustrative, not a promised compression result.
YOUR FINAL CHECK
Ready to finish?
0 of 5 checks completed. This list stays in this page only.
Common questions
The file passes here but the portal still rejects it. Why?
The checker does not validate passwords, digital signatures, identity, document age, colour rules, page count or a portal’s private validation logic. Check the portal’s error message and contact its support if the requirement is unclear.
Can I keep compressing until it fits?
Repeated compression may stop reducing size and can degrade images. Return to the original when comparing settings. If readable output cannot meet the limit, ask the receiving organisation for an accepted alternative.
Something unclear or inaccurate? Report a correction with the step and a non-sensitive example.