A megabyte is the standard cap on job portals, visa applications and HR systems. The tool works down to it in three stages, stopping at the first that fits.
An exported CV clears it easily and stays searchable. A scanned one may not, and that distinction matters more here than anywhere else on the size ladder.
The 1 MB ceiling shows up more often than any other on English-language portals. Workday, Greenhouse and Lever default résumé uploads to it. USCIS, IRCC and the UK Home Office cap supporting documents there. HR systems for benefits and expenses follow suit. A fifty-page text contract fits at the first attempt. A twenty-page colour scan of certificates is where the ladder works.
Where the 1 MB limit comes from
- Applicant tracking systems: Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby1 to 2 MB per file
- Immigration portals: USCIS, IRCC, UK Home Office, Australia1 MB per document
- HR benefits enrolment and dependent verification1 MB
- Freelance platforms: identity and portfolio uploads1 MB
- University applications and scholarship portals1 to 2 MB
A megabyte has been the default application cap for years, set when most CVs were typed documents rather than scans. It is still generous for an exported CV and tight for a scanned one.
How the tool hits 1 MB
Add the PDF
A megabyte is the cap on job portals, visa applications and HR systems, so the file is usually a CV, a covering letter or a scanned supporting document. It is read in locally, which matters for a document with your address on it.
Tidying, then images touched only lightly
Structure goes first at no cost, and on an exported CV that alone can be most of the saving. If images are still the weight, they come down from 200 ppi, but a text CV rarely needs more than the first rung.
Stage three, which a CV should never reach
If a CV is being rebuilt as pictures, something upstream went wrong, usually a document that was scanned rather than exported. Recruiters search CVs by keyword, so a rasterised one is a real cost even with a text layer behind it.
Download, and read the result line
It tells you which stage finished the job. For a CV you want to see stage one or two, because that is the difference between a document a search can read and a picture of one.
Structure, then the images in place, then the pages as pictures. It stops at the first stage that fits.
Untouched at the first two stages. If the pages do get rebuilt, an invisible text layer keeps them searchable.
The IDs, forms and statements people compress for portals never leave the device.
What fits in 1 MB, and what does not
An exported CV and a covering letter, several times over. A scan of the same two pages, only just. The difference is that an export stores the words while a scan stores a picture of them, and the picture costs perhaps twenty times more.
When it cannot reach 1 MB
A CV that will not fit in a megabyte has almost always been scanned rather than exported. Three moves, in order:
- Export the document again. Save straight to PDF from the application you wrote it in. A two-page exported CV is usually well under 200 KB and every word of it stays searchable.
- Take the scanned cover sheet out. A single scanned signature page can outweigh the entire rest of an application. Split PDF and compress that page on its own.
- Send supporting documents separately. Where the portal has more than one slot, use them. Certificates do not need to share a megabyte with your CV.
Do not rasterise your CV
The same logic applies to cover letters and to any document a system will search. Use this tool for the scanned attachments, the passport page and the certificate, and keep the typed documents as text.
Where people use the 1 MB target
- Passport pages and supporting documents for a visa1 to 5 pages
- Transcripts, degree certificates, licencescolour scans, 1 to 3 pages
- Insurance evidence for benefits enrolmentmixed
- Identity and portfolio uploads on freelance platformsmixed
Why this runs in your browser
A CV holds your address, your phone number and your employment history in one file. Uploading it to a compression site adds a party to the transaction who has no reason to see any of it.
The tool is right above
Everything on this page runs in your browser. Scroll up, drop the file, and keep it on your machine.
Common questions
What people ask when a job portal caps uploads at 1 MB.
01Where is 1 MB commonly required?
Corporate applicant tracking systems, immigration and visa portals, HR benefits platforms and freelance marketplaces. It is the most common per-file cap on English-language portals.
02How much fits in 1 MB?
A fifty-page text document at the first attempt. A ten-page colour scan at moderate quality. A handful of full-page photos with mild softening. The estimator above predicts the attempt for your mix.
03Will the text still be readable?
Yes for an exported CV, easily. For a scanned one the later attempts soften it, which is a good reason to export rather than scan.
04Will the text still be selectable?
Yes, provided the file stays in the first two stages, which an exported CV always does. This matters more here than anywhere else, because applicant tracking systems read the text.
05What if the file cannot get under 1 MB?
You get the smallest attempt, labelled honestly. For a CV the answer is to export the document again rather than compress it further.
06My file was already small. Why did it grow?
It hands an already-small file straight back. Most exported CVs are well under a megabyte to begin with.
07Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Rendering and compression run in your browser. The file never leaves the device.
08Is it free?
Free. Every tool, unlimited use, no signup.