# How to send a PDF that’s too big to email

> Gmail stops attachments at 25 MB and Outlook at 20 MB. How to get a big PDF under the limit on a Mac: compress it, split it, or share a link.

Source: https://whizra.com/guides/send-big-pdf-by-email

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# Send a big PDF by email

Most email stops attachments at around 20–25 MB: Gmail at 25 MB, Outlook at 20 MB. If your PDF is bigger, compress it first; if it’s still too big, split it or send a link.

## 1. Compress it

Preview: File → Export → Quartz Filter “Reduce File Size” (free; [sometimes blurry or bigger](https://whizra.com/guides/why-preview-makes-pdf-bigger)). Whizra: select it and type compress it for email, which picks a strong setting, or compress my last pdf under 2 mb.

## 2. Split it

Send it in parts: Whizra splits a PDF by pages ([split a PDF](https://whizra.com/split-pdf-mac)).

## 3. Send a link

A cloud drive link sends any size, but that uploads the file to the cloud drive.

## Questions

**What is the attachment limit for Gmail and Outlook?**

Gmail: 25 MB. Outlook: 20 MB.

**Can Whizra email the file too?**

Yes: the result card has Send…, which opens the share menu (Mail, Messages, AirDrop).

Checked: 3 Nov 2026.

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Related: [Compress a PDF on Mac](https://whizra.com/compress-pdf-mac) · [Compress without uploading](https://whizra.com/guides/compress-pdf-without-uploading)