Why does the form say my PDF isn't valid?

Usually because it's a photo or a Word file with a .pdf name, because it has a password or because it's damaged. aval tells you which one when you upload it.

How do I make a PDF smaller for a form?

Compress it. The Recommended level takes images to 150 dpi and keeps the text sharp. Maximum goes down to 96 dpi for very low limits.

Can aval repair a damaged PDF?

No. If the file can't be opened, download it or export it again from the program that created it.

Yes. You can try it without an account. Your documents are kept for 24 hours unless you sign in with Google, LinkedIn or GitHub.

Why a form rejects your PDF and how to fix it

What each message usually means

What the form says	What usually happened	What to do
The file is too large	The pages were scanned, or photographed, at high resolution.	Compress it.
Invalid format, or only PDF accepted	It's a photo (JPG, PNG) or a Word file.	Turn it into a PDF.
The file can't be read, or an error with no reason	It has a password, or it's damaged.	Remove the password, or get the file again.
Only one file allowed	You have several separate PDFs.	Merge them into one.
Too many pages	The PDF has pages the form doesn't need.	Remove those pages.
The file name isn't valid	It has accents, symbols or a very long name.	Rename it.

Each website words its errors differently, and some say nothing at all. If you don't know where to start, check the size first, then the format, then the password. That's the order in which these problems show up most often.

How to fix it with aval

Open aval Workspace and upload the file. You don't need an account.
Under the document you'll see what aval found: the file is heavy, has a password, doesn't open as a PDF or is a scan without text.
Tap the fix it offers. If the file is for a form, you can also use Prepare for → For an online form, which recognizes the text of scanned pages and compresses the file to the maximum when it's over 2 MB.
Download the result and upload it to the form again. The original stays saved as an earlier version in case you need it.

Try it with your own file

aval Workspace is free and works without an account.

Try it free, no account

If the file is too heavy

This is what happens most. Many forms accept only a few megabytes, and a few scanned pages go over that quickly. Compressing lowers the resolution of the images, and the text stays easy to read. The guide on compressing a PDF for an upload explains which level to use.

If it's really a photo

Renaming a photo so it ends in .pdf doesn't make it a PDF, and many forms notice. Upload the photo to aval and turn it into a PDF with text. If the file comes from Word, Excel or PowerPoint, use Office to PDF.

If it has a password

Bank statements, payslips and some certificates come with a password, and many forms can't open them. If you know it, use Remove password in aval and upload the copy without it. If you don't know it, aval can't remove it. Ask whoever sent you the file for a copy without a password.

If the file is damaged

When aval says it couldn't open the file as a PDF, the problem is in the file itself. It usually comes from a download that got cut off or from an app that saved it badly. Download it again, or export it again from the program where it was made. If it was a scan, scan it again.

If the problem is something else

If the form takes a single file, merge the PDFs in the order it asks for.
If there's a page limit, start by removing blank pages. aval finds them when you upload the file.
If it asks for PDF/A, use Prepare for → Archive, which saves the file as PDF/A with the text recognized.
If the PDF has a digital signature, make your changes before signing. Changing a signed PDF breaks the signature.
If the name has accents or symbols, use plain letters and numbers, for example id-john-smith.pdf.