PDF Too Large for Email? Here's What To Do

You've just tried to attach a PDF to an email and got the dreaded message: "Attachment too large." Here are your options, ranked from fastest to most effort.

Quick Answer

Fastest solution: Upload to LinkyHost and share the link instead of attaching. Takes 30 seconds, no compression needed, works with any size.

Why Your PDF Won't Attach

Email Size Limits

Provider	Limit
Gmail	25 MB
Outlook.com	20 MB
Yahoo	25 MB
Corporate email	Often 10 MB or less

Your 30MB PDF? Not getting through.

Why PDFs Get So Large

Common causes:

• Scanned documents - Each page is a large image
• High-res photos - Embedded images not optimized
• Multiple pages - Each page adds size
• Embedded fonts - Custom fonts increase file size
• Forms and layers - Interactive PDFs are bigger

Solution 1: Share as Link (Fastest)

Skip compression entirely. Share your PDF via link.

Steps

1. Go to PDF Link Generator
2. Upload your PDF (any size up to 50MB)
3. Copy the shareable link
4. Paste in your email

Time: 30 seconds

Result

Instead of:

[Attachment: proposal.pdf - TOO LARGE]

You send:

Please find the proposal here:
https://company-proposal.linkyhost.com

Benefits

• Works with any PDF size
• Recipient doesn't have to download
• You can track if they opened it
• More professional appearance

Solution 2: Compress the PDF

Reduce file size while keeping the PDF format.

Online Compression (Easiest)

1. Go to PDF Compressor
2. Upload your PDF
3. Download compressed version
4. Attach to email

Expected Results

Original Size	After Compression
30 MB	8-15 MB
50 MB	12-25 MB
100 MB	25-50 MB

Results vary based on PDF content. Image-heavy PDFs compress more.

If Still Too Large

Compression might not be enough for very large files or files that are already optimized. Move to Solution 1 (share as link).

Solution 3: Compress AND Share Link

Get the best of both worlds:

Steps

1. Go to Compress and Share
2. Upload your PDF
3. Get:
   • Compressed file (smaller for download)
   • Shareable link
   • QR code

When to Use

• Recipient needs to download file (not just view)
• You want a smaller hosted version
• You need both link sharing and a downloadable file

Solution 4: Split the PDF

Break one large PDF into smaller files.

When to Split

• Multi-chapter documents (send chapters separately)
• Recipient only needs certain pages
• Very large PDFs that won't compress enough

How to Split

1. Use Split PDF tool
2. Select page ranges
3. Download separate PDFs
4. Send the relevant portion

Example

Original: 50-page report (40 MB) Split: Pages 1-10 (8 MB) - send just the executive summary

Comparison of Solutions

Solution	Time	Result	Best For
Share as link	30 sec	Link to full PDF	Most cases
Compress	1 min	Smaller attachment	Small reductions needed
Compress + link	1 min	Link + small file	Both viewing and download
Split PDF	2-5 min	Multiple smaller files	Sending partial docs

Decision Tree

PDF too large for email?
│
├─ Need to attach the actual file?
│  │
│  ├─ Yes → Try compression first
│  │        Still too large? → Split or share link
│  │
│  └─ No → Share as link (fastest)
│
└─ Not sure?
   → Share as link (works for everything)

Email Templates

When Sharing a Link

Hi [Name],

The document is too large for email attachment.
Please find it here:

[Your LinkyHost Link]

Let me know if you have any trouble accessing it.

Best,
[Your Name]

When Sending Compressed Version

Hi [Name],

Attached is the compressed version of [document name].
Quality has been optimized for email while maintaining
readability.

[If relevant: Full resolution version available here:
your-link.linkyhost.com]

Best,
[Your Name]

When Sending Split Files

Hi [Name],

Due to file size, I've split the document:
- Part 1 (attached): Pages 1-20
- Part 2 (attached): Pages 21-40

Or view the complete document here:
[Your LinkyHost Link]

Best,
[Your Name]

Why Links Are Better Than Compression

Compression works, but links are often the better choice:

Factor	Compression	Link
File size	Reduced	N/A (no attachment)
Quality	May decrease	Original quality
Tracking	No	Yes, view analytics
Updates	Resend needed	Update same link
Professional	Standard	Modern
Time	1-2 minutes	30 seconds

Special Cases

Scanned Documents

Scanned PDFs are often huge (each page is an image).

Solution:

1. Try compression first (often 50-70% reduction)
2. If still large, share as link
3. If you need to email often, re-scan at lower resolution

Legal Documents

For contracts and legal files:

• Check if link sharing is acceptable - Some legal processes require actual file transfer
• Use password protection if sending sensitive documents
• Keep compression minimal - Legal docs need readable text

Internal Team Sharing

If sharing within your company:

• Check if your company has enterprise file sharing
• Links may be preferred over clogging email servers
• Consider shared drives for files accessed by many people

Preventing Large PDFs

When Creating PDFs

• Optimize images before embedding - Resize photos to needed dimensions
• Use standard fonts - Avoid embedding custom fonts when possible
• Export at "web" quality - When creating from design software
• Remove unnecessary pages - Delete blank or draft pages

When Scanning

• Use 150-200 DPI for text - Higher isn't better for text
• Use 300 DPI only for images - If image quality matters
• Enable OCR compression - Makes text searchable AND smaller

The Bottom Line

Your PDF is too large for email. Here's what to do:

1. Fastest: Share as link via LinkyHost
2. If you must attach: Compress first
3. If still too large: Split or use link
4. Best practice: Always consider links over attachments

Email attachments have size limits. Links don't.

Related Tools

• PDF Link Generator - Share any size PDF
• PDF Compressor - Reduce PDF size
• Compress and Share - One-click solution
• Split PDF - Break into smaller files

Related Guides

• How to Compress PDF for Email
• How to Send Large PDF Files
• Send PDF Without Email Attachment