Large PDF uploads
Succeed with big PDFs by respecting size limits, splitting binders, and allowing extra processing time.
Overview
Large PDFs are welcome within per-file limits, but they take longer to upload and OCR. Oversized files, unstable networks, and huge image-only scans are the usual failure points.
Why this feature exists
Court binders and disclosure packages are often large — SeraCase should still handle them calmly.
Symptoms
- Upload stalls near the end
- File rejected for size
- Processing takes much longer than smaller files
- Browser tab becomes unresponsive during upload
Likely causes
- File exceeds the per-file size limit
- Very large image-only scan
- Network interruption mid-transfer
- Uploading many large PDFs in one batch
- Corrupt export from the source scanner
Step-by-step
- 1
Check the size limit
Keep each file within the allowed maximum (typically 50 MB). Compress or split if needed.
- 2
Split oversized binders
Divide by section (orders, correspondence, financials) into separate PDFs.
- 3
Upload on a stable connection
Prefer reliable Wi‑Fi or wired networks for multi‑hundred‑page scans.
- 4
Upload large files alone first
Add the biggest PDF by itself, confirm success, then continue with the rest.
- 5
Give processing time
Do not re-upload while the job is still running — watch Add Documents status instead.
Best practices
- Label each split clearly so Evidence stays navigable.
- Create text-based PDFs when the source system allows.
Productivity tips
- Export a package after big binders finish processing so you have an offline copy.
Common mistakes
- Compressing so aggressively that pages become unreadable for OCR.
- Queuing ten huge scans at once on mobile data.
When to contact support
Contact support if a PDF under the size limit fails repeatedly on a stable network after splitting and single-file retries.
Frequently asked questions
Should I zip my PDFs?
No. Upload supported PDFs directly — zip archives are not an accepted upload type.
Screenshots
Illustration placeholder — product screenshot coming soon.
Large PDF uploads screenshot placeholderHelpful links
Related articles
- Upload failures
Recover when Add Documents fails validation, stalls, or reports a failed batch.
- Slow processing
Understand why organization takes time and what you can do while Sera works.
- What file types are supported?
PDFs, common images (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP, GIF), and plain text (.txt) — up to size limits per file.
- OCR problems
Improve text extraction when scans are unreadable, empty, or poorly recognized.
Was this helpful?