Rekto DigitalInsightsForm rejects your file
Why the online form keeps rejecting your file: 7 reasons and the fix for each
Updated October 28, 2026 · By the Rekto Digital team
It is the last step of the application, the deadline is tonight, and the portal says "invalid file". After building tools for exactly these uploads, we see the same seven causes again and again. Each one has a fix that takes a minute.
1. The file is over the size limit
The most common one. A phone scan is often 1 to 3 MB, and forms ask for 100 KB or 200 KB. Compress it to the exact limit: PDF to 100 KB, 200 KB, or any size; for photos, image to 50 KB or any KB.
Not sure which one it is? Check your file here first: it reads the size, format, password and pixels on your device, and points to the fix.
2. It is 99 KB on your phone but the form says too big
Some portals count 1 KB as 1000 bytes, others as 1024, and phones disagree too. A file your phone calls 100 KB can be 102,400 bytes. Aim a little under the limit: our tools count 1 KB as 1000 bytes, so their files pass either way.
3. The form wants JPG and you have a PDF, or the opposite
- Form wants a photo, you have a PDF: PDF to JPG.
- Form wants a PDF, you have photos: JPG to PDF, which also combines several pages into one file.
- Form wants one PDF and you have three: Merge PDF.
4. The photo came from an iPhone
iPhones save photos as HEIC. Uploading straight from the iPhone's Photos usually converts them to JPG on the way, but a HEIC file copied to a computer, or sent to you as a file, is refused by most portals. Convert it with HEIC to JPG first.
5. The PDF has a password
Bank statements, e-Aadhaar and salary slips often come locked. Portals cannot read them and just say "invalid file". If you know the password, Unlock PDF saves a copy without it. See the Aadhaar PDF password if that is your file.
6. The photo has the wrong size in pixels or centimetres
Exam forms often ask for exact dimensions such as 200 × 230 pixels for a photo or 140 × 60 for a signature. Type the width on the image resizer, or use resize image in cm when the notice gives centimetres. For a ready-made photo, the passport photo maker crops it for you.
7. The file is too small
Ranges like "10 to 20 KB" have a minimum too, and a tiny signature crop can be 6 KB. Pick the top of the range (20 KB): our resizer keeps the most quality that fits, so if the original has enough detail the file lands close to the limit, above the minimum. A tiny crop cannot be made bigger without enlarging it, so retake or rescan it larger.
Quick answers
Why does the form say invalid file when the file opens fine?
Usually the file is password-protected, in a format the portal does not accept (such as HEIC from an iPhone), or over the size limit. Unlock, convert or compress it, then upload again.
Is 1 KB 1000 or 1024 bytes on upload forms?
It depends on the portal. To be safe, make the file a little under the limit, or use a tool that counts 1 KB as 1000 bytes, so it passes either way.
How do I make a file smaller without losing quality?
Compress it to the exact limit rather than as small as possible: a good tool keeps the highest quality that still fits. Removing pages the form did not ask for helps most with scans.
Fix the file in your browserOur free tools compress, unlock and resize files on your own device, so your documents are never uploaded. No sign-up, no watermark.