NHS recruiters
NHS Jobs 1MB limit: shrink job description PDFs to fit
Quick answer: NHS Jobs lets employers add up to 4 supporting documents to a job listing, each up to 1MB, as DOC, DOCX or PDF. If your job description or person specification PDF is bigger, add it here with the target set to 0.9 (900KB, a safe margin under 1MB) and tap Compress to target. A short document usually fits easily. The file is processed in your browser; nothing is uploaded to PDFWhisk.
Steps last checked 3 November 2026 by the PDFWhisk team
At a glance
- Use this page to compress files quickly with a guided workflow.
- Accepted input: .pdf.
- Output: downloadable files generated in-browser for supported workflows.
- Upload Choose your file
- Process Runs locally
- Download Save result
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or tap to browse · accepts .pdf
Runs in your browser. No file uploads for supported tools.
Best on desktop for 100MB+ files · mobile recommended under ~100MB.
How local processing works
- Your PDF is processed in your browser using local JavaScript libraries.
- PDFWhisk does not upload your file to a processing server for supported tools.
- Only normal page assets load from the site (HTML/CSS/JS), not your document contents.
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Security & privacy detailsHow this tool helps
Reduce the file size of your PDF documents right in your browser. Pick a target size (2MB, 5MB, 10MB, 25MB or a custom size from 0.1MB) and PDFWhisk tries up to seven quality passes, from very high to very heavy compression, stopping at the first one under your target. Compression turns each page into an image to shrink the file: text stays readable but won't be selectable or searchable, and links and form fields are not kept. Scanned documents and photo-heavy PDFs shrink the most; a typed, text-only PDF may not shrink at all, and if the result would be bigger the tool keeps your original. Your PDF never leaves your device - all compression happens locally using your browser's processing power. Use it when you need to split large PDFs for portal limits, compress PDFs on iPhone, reduce email attachment size.
Best for
How it works
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1
Add the PDF
Tap the upload box and choose the job description, person specification or information pack.
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2
Check the target
Custom is set to 0.9, which is 900,000 bytes, comfortably under 1MB however the service counts it.
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3
Tap Compress to target
The tool tries up to seven quality passes and keeps the first one under 900KB.
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4
Read the result box
It shows the size before and after and says whether the target was reached.
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5
Upload to NHS Jobs
In the listing, answer Yes to supporting documents, select Choose file, pick the compressed copy and select Upload.
More files today? Free covers 2 tasks a day and files up to 50MB. For unlimited tasks and bigger files, Pro passes start at £1.29 for 24 hours. See Pro options → One-off payment, no subscription, and your files still stay on your device.
Supporting documents on NHS Jobs listings
Job descriptions and person specifications are usually short, but a logo or chart exported at print quality can push them over 1MB. Here is how to get them under without losing readability.
The limits, from NHSBSA
NHSBSA's help for employers says a job listing can carry up to 4 supporting documents, each up to 1MB, as DOC, DOCX or PDF. Supporting documents for online job offers must also be no more than 1MB and can only be added by Super Users, Recruitment Administrators and Team Managers.
What fits under 1MB
A typed job description of a few pages is normally well under 1MB at the tool's higher-quality passes. In our 19 October tests on the 100KB page, even a three-page photo PDF came down to 126KB at the lowest pass, so a 900KB target leaves room for the tool to stop at a sharper pass.
Long information packs
If a recruitment pack runs to dozens of pages, split it into a job description and a separate information pack with Split PDF, then compress each. That uses two of the four document slots but keeps both readable.
Check before you publish
Open the compressed copy and zoom in on the banding, hours and closing date. Keep the original PDF: the compressed copy can't be edited.
Before you upload/share
- The result box says Target reached: under 900KB.
- Pay band, hours and dates are readable when you zoom in.
- No more than 4 supporting documents on the listing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NHS Jobs limit for supporting documents?
NHSBSA's help says you can upload up to 4 supporting documents to a job listing, each up to 1MB, in .doc, .docx or .pdf format. Documents added for job offers must also not exceed 1MB.
Why set 0.9 rather than 1MB?
This tool treats 1MB as 1,048,576 bytes but KB targets as decimal, so 0.9 means 900,000 bytes. That passes whether a service counts 1MB as 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes.
My PDF was exported from Word and is over 1MB. Why?
Usually embedded images: a trust logo saved at print resolution, a photo, or an organisation chart. Compressing turns each page into an image, which shrinks those.
Will the text stay selectable?
No. To reach the target, each page is redrawn as a JPEG image, so text can be read but not selected or searched, and links stop working. If a link must work, keep the PDF small at source instead.
Is this for applicants too?
The 1MB figures above come from NHSBSA's employer help. Applicants should follow the instructions on the application itself; the compressor works the same way for any target.
Sources
Limits and steps on this page were checked against these official pages on 3 November 2026.
What to do next
Chain tools together for a complete workflow.
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