SearchX eSigningCompleted Document File Size
What happens to file size once an envelope is completed, when signed documents are too large to email, and how to keep them practical for CRM uploads.
Large executed contracts and forms can be awkward to email, download, and upload into a CRM or other software. This page explains what happens to file size once an envelope is completed, and how to keep the final document at a practical size.
The completed document is about the same size as the upload
SearchX eSigning does not compress or reduce a document when an envelope is completed. The completed PDF is roughly the same size as the documents you uploaded, plus the Certificate of Completion. Signature and text fields add a negligible amount.
Some other platforms can noticeably increase a PDF's size on completion because they embed fields, signatures, and other data into the file. SearchX eSigning does not.
The combined size of all documents in an envelope cannot exceed 50MB. See What is the file size limit for an envelope? for the upload and page limits.
Very large completed documents are not attached to email
Email providers cap the size of attachments, typically at around 25MB. This is an email limitation, not a SearchX eSigning one. When the completed documents exceed that size, they are not attached to the completion email. Recipients and senders instead download them from SearchX eSigning.
- Recipients click View Documents in their completion email and download from the Actions menu. See Disabling Attachments on Completion Emails for how that flow works.
- Senders can download completed documents from the envelope in SearchX eSigning at any time.
If your organisation uses the combined file or ZIP options under Email Notifications, the limit applies to the total size of what is attached to the email.
Keeping completed documents at a practical size
File size is controlled at upload, not at completion. If your agents regularly upload completed documents into a CRM, set an optimisation level under Settings > PDF processing:
- Web (Recommended) optimises the PDF for fast loading and is suitable for most use cases.
- Max produces the smallest possible file, with some reduction in quality. Use this when file size is the priority.
See PDF Processing for the full list of options. Scanned documents are the most common cause of oversized files, so reducing the scan resolution before uploading also helps.