Few things are as frustrating as reaching the final step of a tedious multi-page online application, only to be stopped by a red error message when you click "submit". Your documents were rejected.
Modern smartphone cameras produce massive files with complex encoding, while government algorithms and job applicant tracking systems (ATS) are often built on decade-old technology designed to handle strict, specific criteria. This mismatch leads to constant upload failures.
Error 1: "File Size Exceeds Maximum Limit"
The problem: This is the most common error. A single photo taken on a modern iPhone or Android can be 4-6 MB. Meanwhile, banking and government portals usually enforce limits around 200KB to 500KB to save database storage space.
The fix: Do not just crop the image or reduce your screen resolution. Use a dedicated compression tool. If you are uploading a PDF, use the PrismDocs PDF Compressor to define an exact target size. If you are uploading an image, convert and compress it using our conversion tools. The compression algorithm will strip metadata and downsample dense areas perfectly.
Error 2: "Invalid File Format"
The problem: You tried uploading an image (like a `.png` or Apple's `.heic`) but the portal only accepts legacy `.pdf` or standard `.jpg` formats. Sometimes, a file extension is uppercase (e.g., .JPG), which poorly programmed backend servers can't recognize.
The fix: Force a format conversion. Apple `.heic` photos are notorious for failing on Windows-based enterprise systems. The solution is straightforward: use our Image to PDF tool or an equivalent tool to force these images into standard structures that every legacy system on earth can recognize.
Error 3: "Document Requires Valid Dimensions"
The problem: This error usually triggers when uploading passport photos or digital signatures. The server is not just checking file size; it is literally counting pixels. If the requirement is precisely "200x50 pixels" and your image is "400x100 pixels", it will reject it—even if the aspect ratio is correct.
The fix: Rely on precision cropping tools rather than guessing in MS Paint or smartphone photo editors. Use tools like the PrismDocs Digital Signature cropper to force explicit pixel dimensions at the correct aspect ratio during export.
Error 4: "Corrupted File" or "File Contains Password"
The problem: This happens often with official e-Aadhar cards or banking statements. These PDFs are password-encrypted by the issuing body. An automated system (like an ATS or document verification algorithm) cannot open it to scan it, so it flags it as corrupted or throws a security error.
The fix: You need to remove the password protection. Open the protected PDF on your local browser (like Chrome), enter the password when prompted. Then, select "Print" and choose "Save as PDF" as the destination printer. This will save a flattened, unprotected version of the visual document that you can safely compress and upload.
Final Review Before Clicking Submit
To avoid triggering fraud checks or application rejection down the line, do a manual visual check of your optimized documents. No matter how much you compress a file, ensure that names, numbers, barcodes, and QR codes remain perfectly crisp and scannable.