What are the file size limits for PDF checking?
HTPBE? accepts PDF files up to 10 MB (10,485,760 bytes), both in the web app and through the API. Larger files are rejected.
How the limit applies
- The limit is measured on the file as you submit it, before any processing.
- In the API, a file over the limit returns
413with the codefile_too_large, and the response states the size it received. - For API checks the file is fetched from a public HTTP or HTTPS URL, and the download itself has a 30-second timeout.
What typically fits
Contracts, certificates, invoices, bank statements, payslips and reports fit comfortably. Files near the limit are usually scans or documents with many high-resolution images.
If your file is too large
First, get a smaller file from the source: export the document again at a lower image quality, or download a lighter version from the issuer’s portal. If that is not possible:
- Split the document into parts and check each part.
- Compress the images and check the result.
Compressing or splitting a PDF produces a new file, and the verdict describes that new file, not the one you received. For a document where the original matters, ask the sender for a smaller original instead of shrinking it yourself.
Related limits
Analysis has its own 20-second limit, separate from the size limit. A very complex file can fail on time even when it is under 10 MB. See How long does PDF analysis take?
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How does HTPBE? determine whether a PDF was modified?
Related questions
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3 answers
How Detection Works
HTPBE? looks for evidence inside the file that it was changed after it was created, reports each finding by name, and returns Intact, Modified or Inconclusive. It reads the file, not the text of the document.
No. HTPBE? looks for evidence that an existing PDF was changed after it was created, so content that was false from the start can show none, and password-protected files cannot be analysed. Treat it as one layer in a fraud check.
Privacy, Data & Limits
Most checks finish in 2–5 seconds; large or complex PDFs can take 5–15 seconds. Downloading a file from a URL times out after 30 seconds and the analysis itself after 20 seconds.