gauritanaya

ENಕನ್ನಡहिंदी

Why your upload was rejected

Checked on 27 October 2026. A guide from Gauritanaya.

Portal messages are often vague (“invalid file”, “upload failed”). This is a troubleshooting order for exam, job and government forms. Confirm pixel, KB and format rules in that form’s official notice. No tool can promise the portal will accept your file.

Start with these tools

The short answer

When a portal rejects an upload, check in this order:

  1. Format (JPG, PNG or PDF) and the real file type, not only the name
  2. Width × height in pixels, and that you did not swap them
  3. File size in KB (minimum and maximum, if both are listed)
  4. Content rules (face, background, signature thickness, readable pages)
  5. Browser or session (another browser, a stable connection) for a live photo or a flaky uploader

Then use the matching tool: Exam photo resizer, Compress image to KB, Convert image, or Compress PDF.

Decode the message

Message (paraphrased)Likely layerFirst fix
Invalid file or unsupported formatFormatConvert to the type the notice names (often JPG or PDF)
Dimensions incorrectPixelsMatch width × height exactly. Crop, then resize. Do not stretch a face
File too largeKB or MBCompress into the allowed band, a little under the max
File too smallMinimum KBCompress less. Use a thicker signature scan
Photo not as per guidelinesContentRetake: light, plain background, face share, ears, no mask if the notice bans one
Upload failed, try againSession or networkAnother browser, a stable connection, a smaller file

Treat these as troubleshooting patterns, not quotes from any one board.

Format vs file name

Renaming photo.png to photo.jpg does not change the bytes inside. Many checks look at the real image type, not only the extension.

  1. Open Convert image.
  2. Export the format the bulletin requires (often JPG for photos).
  3. Then meet pixels and KB. Conversion alone rarely fixes size.

For multi-page certificates, portals usually want PDF, not a folder of JPGs. Use JPG to PDF, then Compress PDF if there is a size cap.

Width × height order

Notices write width × height (for example 200 × 230). A phone photo that is 230 × 200 is the wrong orientation for that box.

  • If the face area is right but the ratio is wrong, crop to the target ratio first, then resize to the exact pixels.
  • Stretching to force 200 × 230 warps the face and often fails a human check.

Tools: Crop image, then Resize image, or the Exam photo resizer when both pixels and KB are listed.

KB, and why “1 KB over” still fails

Forms say “KB”. The portal may enforce a hard byte ceiling. If the maximum is 50 KB and your file is 51 or 52 KB, compress again.

  • Stay inside the band when a minimum and a maximum are both given.
  • Over-compressing a signature into a near-blank white JPG can fall under the minimum.
  • Blank comment data added only to reach a minimum KB can disappear if the portal strips metadata, or if it checks the picture again. Re-save at a higher quality first. The exam photo pages say when a notice’s own minimum makes this likely.

Use Compress image to KB or the exam resizer. For certificate PDFs, use Compress PDF and check that the text is still readable. Page order is a separate job: Merge PDF and Organise PDF (the address is /organize-pdf/).

Blurred originals

Compressing a soft, zoomed-in face will not invent sharpness. Retake in good light, on a plain background, with the camera steady. Meet the face, ear and background rules from the bulletin. Then resize and compress.

Live webcam capture is separate. A size tool cannot fix a failed live photo. Follow the portal’s own help text.

Worked walkthrough (made-up form)

Bulletin (illustrative): photo JPG, 200 × 230 px, 20–50 KB.

  1. The phone shot is HEIC or PNG. Convert image to JPG. Browsers on this site open JPG, PNG and WebP. A HEIC photo may need to be saved as JPG from the phone’s own photos app first.
  2. The framing is wrong. Crop, then hit 200 × 230 with the Exam photo resizer set to 20–50 KB.
  3. The file lands inside the band. Upload. If the portal still says invalid, re-read the content rules (background, mask) before compressing further.

Checklist before you upload

  • Same format the notice names
  • Exact width × height, in that order
  • KB inside the minimum and maximum, if both exist
  • Preview still readable (face, signature, or certificate text)
  • The correct field (photo, signature, or document)
  • This year’s official bulletin open beside you

Tools for this

Related guides

Limits

This article does not invent exam-specific sizes or dates. It does not guarantee form acceptance. For a named exam, the Information Bulletin or notification PDF is the only authority.

Sources

Sources checked on 27 October 2026 (Asia/Calcutta). Where a notice and this page disagree, the notice wins.

FAQ

The portal only says “invalid file”. Where do I start?
Format first, then pixels, then KB. If all three match a clear bulletin and it still fails, try another browser and check the content rules.
Can I fix a rejected PDF of certificates the same way?
Often yes for size: Compress PDF. For order and page count, Merge PDF and Organise PDF. Text that turns to mush after heavy compression is a common second failure. Check every page.
Will fixing the size guarantee acceptance?
No. Boards also check pose, background, signature style, document checks and live capture. Tools only change files you already have.
Is my photo uploaded to Gauritanaya’s servers?
On these browser tools, processing runs on your device. Still avoid pasting a full Aadhaar or extra ID data into random sites.