Compress PDF API

Reduce the size of your PDF files while maintaining quality.

Try it Out API Documentation

Reduce File Size Significantly

CloudConvert is able compress large PDFs while maintaining both file format and quality. Amongst other techniques this works by identifying similar data patterns, and replacing all the duplicates with references. Checkout our online converter and try it out with your own example files.

Optimization Profiles

Depending on your needs, you can select between various optimization profiles. There are special profiles for web usage, print usage, archiving purposes, scanned images or maximal size reduction. Check out the API docs for details about these profiles.

Async or Sync

By default, the CloudConvert API converts your files asynchronously and we notify you via webhooks when we are done. Depending on your needs there is also a synchronous API to convert files on-the-fly.

Storage Integration

CloudConvert directly fetches the input files from your object storage and then stores the output file at the same place. We are integrated with your existing and trusted storage provider, such as S3, Azure, Google Cloud or many others.

Custom Workflows

Our API uses the concept of Jobs and allows to do multiple operations with one single API call. For example, it is possible to convert the same file to multiple output formats, adding a watermark and creating a thumbnail with one single Job!

Developer Friendly

Our extensive API Documentation helps to get you started quickly. There is a Job Builder which generates ready-to-use request payloads and code snippets for you. We do provide free and timely support, directly from the builders of CloudConvert.

Raw Request PHP node.js Ruby Python Java .NET

POST https://sync.api.cloudconvert.com/v2/jobs
{
  "tasks": {
    "import-my-file": {
      "operation": "import/url",
      "url": "https://my.url/file.pdf"
    },
    "compress-my-file": {
      "operation": "optimize",
      "input": "import-my-file",
      "input_format": "pdf",
      "profile": "web"
    },
    "export-my-file": {
      "operation": "export/url",
      "input": "compress-my-file"
    }
  },
  "redirect": true
}
<?php
$job = (new Job())
    ->addTask(
        (new Task('import/url', 'import-my-file'))
            ->set('url', 'https://my.url/file.pdf')
    )
    ->addTask(
        (new Task('optimize', 'compress-my-file'))
            ->set('input', 'import-my-file')
            ->set('input_format', 'pdf')
            ->set('profile', 'web')
    )
    ->addTask(
        (new Task('export/url', 'export-my-file'))
            ->set('input', 'compress-my-file')
    );

$cloudconvert->jobs()->create($job);
let exampleJob = await cloudConvert.jobs.create({
    "tasks": {
        "import-my-file": {
            "operation": "import/url",
            "url": "https://my.url/file.pdf"
        },
        "compress-my-file": {
            "operation": "optimize",
            "input": "import-my-file",
            "input_format": "pdf",
            "profile": "web"
        },
        "export-my-file": {
            "operation": "export/url",
            "input": "compress-my-file"
        }
    }
});

job = await cloudConvert.jobs.wait(job.id);
job = cloudconvert.jobs.create({
  tasks: [
    {
      name: "import-my-file",
      operation: "import/url",
      url: "https://my-url/file.docx"
    },
    {
      name: "compress-my-file",
      operation: "optimize",
      input: "import-my-file",
      input_format: "pdf",
      profile: "web"
    },
    {
      name: "export-my-file",
      operation: "export/url",
      input: "compress-my-file"
    },
  ]
})
job = cloudconvert.Job.create(payload={
     "tasks": {
         'import-my-file': {
              'operation': 'import/url',
              'url': 'https://my.url/file.pdf'
         },
         'compress-my-file': {
             'operation': 'convert',
             'input': 'import-my-file',
             'input_format': 'pdf',
             'profile': 'web'
         },
         'export-my-file': {
             'operation': 'export/url',
             'input': 'compress-my-file'
         }
     }
 })
final JobResponse createJobResponse = cloudConvertClient.jobs().create(
    ImmutableMap.of(
        "import-my-file",
            new UrlImportRequest()
                .setUrl("https://my.url/file.pdf"),
        "compress-my-file",
            new OptimizeFilesTaskRequest()
                .setInput("import-my-file")
                .setInputFormat("pdf"),
                .set("profile", "web"),
        "export-my-file",
            new UrlExportRequest()
                .setInput("compress-my-file")
    )
).getBody();
var job = await CloudConvert.CreateJobAsync(new JobCreateRequest
      {
        Tasks = new
        {
          import_it = new ImportUrlCreateRequest
          {
            Url = "https://my.url/file.pdf"
          },
          compress = new OptimizeCreateRequest
          {
            Input = "import_it",
            Input_Format = "pdf",
            Profile = "web"
          },
          export_it = new ExportUrlCreateRequest
          {
            Input = "compress"
          }
        }
      });

Use our Job Builder to generate ready-to-use requests and code snippet for the CloudConvert API.

Job Builder API Documentation
On-demand, transparent pricing

Starting at 0.00 per file

When Converting Files

Corresponds to a one-timemonthly payment of . Checkout the full pricing information.