One PDF of all your certificates

The short answer

Build the file in four layers:

1. Capture clear pages (a phone scan, or files you already have)
2. Order them the way the form lists them
3. Combine them into a single PDF
4. Compress only as much as needed so the text stays readable

On Gauritanaya: Document scanner or JPG to PDF, then Merge PDF or Organise PDF, then Compress PDF. The organise tool’s address is /organize-pdf/.

What portals usually care about

Exact caps change by employer and year. Read the current instruction PDF.

Step 1: Scan or collect pages

Phone camera. Use the Document scanner for flatter pages and cleaner edges. Use good light. Avoid a shadow across the text. Fill the frame.

You already have JPGs or PNGs. Convert with JPG to PDF.

You already have several PDFs. Skip to merge or organise.

Do not photograph through a plastic sleeve with heavy glare if you can avoid it. Glare becomes unreadable after compression.

Step 2: Page order and orientation

Decide the order before you merge, using the form’s list. An illustrative pattern, not a rule:

1. An index page, if they ask for one
2. Educational certificates in the order they asked (chronological, or highest first)
3. Experience letters
4. ID or category certificates, only if that same upload allows them

Fix an upside-down or sideways page with Organise PDF, Rotate PDF, Split PDF or Delete PDF pages.

Step 3: Merge into one PDF

Open Merge PDF. Add files in the final order, or merge and then reorder with Organise PDF. Download the combined file and open it once on your device. Confirm every page is present and upright.

Step 4: Shrink without killing readability

Open Compress PDF. Aim for under the portal’s maximum, not the smallest file you can make.

• After compressing, zoom in on marks, seals and fine print.
• If a page becomes unreadable, compress less, or re-scan that page sharper and merge again.
• Sitting slightly under the limit is safer than sitting on the exact ceiling. Portals differ on how they count bytes.

Worked example (made-up limits)

A portal says: one PDF, maximum 500 KB, certificates only. The 500 KB figure is illustrative. Your portal’s cap may differ.

1. Four phone scans go through the Document scanner or JPG to PDF.
2. Order them as the form asks, then Merge PDF.
3. If the combined file is over the cap, Compress PDF until it is under that cap.
4. Spot-check a seal. If it is soft, re-scan that page brighter and rebuild.

Common mistakes

• Merging first, then discovering a blank or cropped page.
• Compressing a colourful, photo-heavy PDF until seals vanish.
• Uploading the large original after you already made a smaller file.
• Including a full Aadhaar page when the form asked only for educational documents. Share the minimum required. Hide what is not needed with Redact and blur.
• Using a screenshot of a forwarded photo instead of a clear scan.

When to split instead of merge

Use Split PDF or Delete PDF pages when:

• The portal wants separate uploads for each document type.
• One scanned bundle includes a blank page or the wrong certificate.
• You need a short extract, such as only the final marksheet, for a second form.

Merge into one file only when the instructions say so.