ChatGPT Upload Limit: 512 MB per File, 3 a Day on Free

In short: ChatGPT takes a document or presentation of up to 512 MB per file and an image of up to 20 MB. On a Free account the number of uploads matters more than the size: you get 3 file uploads a day. Put several PDFs into one with Merge PDF to use one upload instead of several, or shrink a big file with Compress PDF. Both run in your browser.

The limits below come from OpenAI's help page on uploading files. Few PDFs come near 512 MB, so the limits people actually hit are the daily upload count and the token cap on long documents.

ChatGPT's upload limits

The limits in OpenAI's own words

Each limit above, as the help page writes it, with a link to the page.

• Documents and presentations have a maximum size of 512 MB per file.
  OpenAI: Uploading files and audio to ChatGPT
• Text and document files are capped at 2 million tokens per file. This token limit does not apply to spreadsheets.
  OpenAI: Uploading files and audio to ChatGPT
• CSV files and spreadsheets have a size limit of approximately 50 MB, depending on the size of each row.
  OpenAI: Uploading files and audio to ChatGPT
• Images have a limit of 20 MB per image.
  OpenAI: Uploading files and audio to ChatGPT
• You can upload up to 80 files every 3 hours. Free users are limited to 3 file uploads per day. OpenAI may lower these limits during peak hours.
  OpenAI: Uploading files and audio to ChatGPT

How to fit more into 3 uploads a day

1. Open Merge PDF and drop all the PDFs you want ChatGPT to read. Photos work too.
2. Use the arrows to set the order, since the files are joined top to bottom.
3. Click Merge PDF and download the result. Upload that one file. It counts as one of your 3, and the 512 MB and 2 million tokens limits still apply to it.

How to get a PDF under 512 MB

1. Check the file size. On Windows, right-click the file and choose Properties; on a Mac, choose Get Info. Under 512 MB? Upload it as it is.
2. Over 512 MB, which usually means a scan or a PDF full of photos? Open Compress PDF, keep Smaller and click Compress PDF. Check the new size, then download the file.
3. Typed text with a few images, where ChatGPT needs the words? Pick Keep text instead. It re-saves the file without changing the pages, so the text stays selectable, but it usually saves little.
4. Still over, or over the 2 million tokens cap? Cut it into parts with Split PDF: choose Every N pages, type a page count that gives smaller parts and click Split PDF. Upload the parts one by one.

How to get an image under 20 MB

1. Open Image Compressor and drop the photo.
2. Choose Exact KB size and type 19,000 KB in Maximum file size (KB). That leaves a little room under 20 MB.
3. Download the result and upload that file.

Checked against OpenAI's page on uploading files and audio to ChatGPT on 25 October 2026. Limits change, so read the page before you upload something large.