2 MB is the usual allowance for identity and supporting documents. The tool works down to it in three stages, stopping at the first that fits.
At this size a passport or licence scan normally keeps enough detail for the numbers on it to stay sharp, which is the only thing anyone checks.
The 2 MB ceiling is the default on SharePoint document libraries, on Workday and Concur receipt uploads, on bank onboarding portals that verify identity, and on the lower tiers of e-signature platforms. Fifty pages of text fit at the first attempt. A thirty-page colour scan needs the ladder, and a ten-page one usually lands on the second rung.
Where the 2 MB limit comes from
- SharePoint and intranet document libraries2 MB per upload, configurable
- Expense systems: Workday, Concur, Expensify receipts2 MB per receipt
- Banking KYC: ID and proof of address for onboarding2 MB
- E-signature platforms on free and lower tiers2 to 5 MB
- Supplier and vendor onboarding portals2 MB per document
Two megabytes is the usual allowance for identity uploads and has stayed put while scanner resolutions have climbed, which is why files so often arrive over it.
How the tool hits 2 MB
Add the PDF
2 MB is the common cap for identity and supporting documents, so what arrives is usually a scan that has to stay legible rather than a text export that merely has to fit.
Structure, then images with quality to spare
The free structural pass runs first. The images then step down from 200 ppi, and 2 MB is roomy enough that a multi-page identity scan usually settles in the top half of the ladder with detail intact.
Stage three, which at 2 MB signals a very large scan
Reaching a rebuild at this cap means the original was scanned at a high resolution in colour. The pages become pictures with a searchable layer behind them, but the better fix is usually a cleaner scan.
Download, and read the result line
It names the rung that finished it. For an identity document the rung matters more than the size: a passport number has to survive, and the higher rungs are where it does.
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 2 MB, and what does not
Several pages of identity documents, with detail to spare. The constraint here is rarely the cap and usually the scanner, because a document captured at 600 dpi in colour will be many times larger than the same document needed to be.
When it cannot reach 2 MB
2 MB is generous for an identity document, so a miss usually points at the scanner rather than the file. Three fixes:
- Drop the scan resolution at source. Identity documents are captured at 600 dpi far more often than they need to be. 200 dpi greyscale is legible, accepted, and a fraction of the size.
- Use one file per document. A passport, a utility bill and a bank statement in one PDF share the cap. Split PDF so each gets its own 2 MB.
- Check whether colour is actually required. Many portals ask for colour only for photograph pages. Greyscale everywhere else buys a great deal of room.
Keeping identity documents legible
A KYC reviewer, human or automated, needs to read the document number, the dates and the machine-readable zone at the bottom of a passport page. Those are small characters, and they are the first thing to blur as the ladder descends. At 2 MB there is rarely any need to descend far, but a phone photo of a passport at full resolution can be 4 MB on its own.
- One document per file. The passport page and the proof of address are separate uploads on nearly every KYC form. Do not merge them, and each stays at the top of the ladder.
- Crop before compressing. A passport page photographed on a table is mostly table. Cropping to the page makes the same 2 MB buy three times the detail on the characters that matter.
- Check the machine-readable zone. Open the result and zoom to the two lines of chevrons and capitals at the bottom. If they read cleanly, the reviewer's software will read them too.
Where people use the 2 MB target
- Signed contracts into a document librarytext, fits at attempt 1
- Receipts photographed on a phone for an expense claim1 to 3 photos
- Passport page and utility bill for account openingcolour scans
- Agreements uploaded for e-signaturetext, fits
Why this runs in your browser
Passports, driving licences and bank statements are exactly the documents used to impersonate someone. Compressing them in the browser means the only copies are the one you started with and the one you send.
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
Questions that come up with a 2 MB document limit.
01Where does 2 MB show up?
SharePoint libraries, expense and travel systems, banking KYC portals, supplier onboarding and the lower tiers of e-signature platforms. It is the standard corporate compromise between allowing documents and discouraging raw scans.
02Do text documents lose quality?
Rarely. Most text PDFs are already under 2 MB or fit at the first attempt, which is visually unchanged. The output is an image, so keep the original if you need selectable text.
03Will the text still be readable?
Yes. At 2 MB an identity document normally keeps enough detail for the numbers on it to stay sharp, which is all anyone checks.
04Will the text still be selectable?
Yes in almost every case. Identity scans at this cap settle in the top half of the ladder with the text untouched.
05What if the file cannot get under 2 MB?
You get the smallest attempt with its size. At 2 MB the cause is usually the scanner rather than the document, and 200 dpi greyscale solves it.
06My file was already small. Why did it grow?
It returns a file that already fits without changing it.
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.