Is Photo To URL free?

Yes. Converting a photo to a URL costs nothing and there's no paid tier gating the basic flow. The free allowance is 10 uploads per IP address per day. Circle Crop, Rounded Corners, and Remove Background are unlimited because they run in your browser and never touch our servers.

Do I need an account or an email address?

No — there's no sign-up, no email confirmation, and no login anywhere on the site. The trade-off is that there's no dashboard either: your links are kept in this browser's local storage and shown in the Upload records drawer, so copy anything you'll need long term into your own notes.

Which image formats and sizes can I upload?

PNG, JPG, WEBP, and GIF up to 5 MB per file. Animated GIFs keep their animation. For PDFs, Office documents, CSV, TXT, and ZIP archives up to 10 MB, use File to URL or PDF to URL instead.

How long does an image link last?

There's no expiry timer and no automatic cleanup after 7, 30, or 90 days — a link is meant to keep resolving for as long as the service runs. That said, no free host should be your only copy: keep the original file, and treat the link as a convenience rather than a backup.

Do you add watermarks or re-compress my image?

No. Nothing is stamped onto your image and no logo is added to the corner. The file is stored and served as you uploaded it, so a 5 MB PNG comes back byte-for-byte rather than as a smaller, softer copy.

Can I use the links commercially?

Yes. You keep every right you had in the image; hosting it here doesn't transfer anything to us or license it to anyone else. Only upload files you own or have permission to publish, since anyone with the URL can view them.

Can I embed the link in Markdown, HTML, or BBCode?

That is the main use for it. In Markdown write ![alt text](your-link); in HTML, use an img element whose src is your link and whose alt describes the picture; on BBCode forums, wrap the link in [img] tags. Because the URL points at the file itself, none of these need to be converted or unwrapped first — the snippets section above has each one ready to copy.

Who can see the images I upload?

Anyone with the link. Uploads are renamed to random identifiers, aren't listed in any public gallery, and are kept out of search indexes — but they're unlisted rather than private, and there's no password option. Don't upload anything you'd mind a stranger opening.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. Tap the uploader to pick a photo from your camera roll or take a new one, and the link appears in the same card. The browser-based editors work on mobile too, though Remove Background is heavier and runs faster on a laptop.

What happens when I reach the 10-upload limit?

The next upload is refused with a message rather than failing silently, and the counter resets at midnight UTC. The limit is per IP address, so a shared office or campus network can reach it sooner than you expect. The in-browser editors are unaffected and keep working.

Can I delete an upload?

Not from the interface yet — self-serve deletion is on the roadmap. Until it ships, use the contact page with the link you want removed and we'll take it down. Clearing the Upload records drawer only clears your local list, not the hosted file.

How is this different from a Google Drive or Dropbox share link?

Those links open a viewer page built around the file, which is why pasting one into Markdown or an img tag shows nothing. The link here is the file, so it renders wherever a URL is accepted — and it takes two clicks instead of uploading, waiting for a sync, and adjusting sharing permissions.

Compress Image to 30KB

Bring a photo down to 30 KB - a little more headroom than 20 KB, still small enough for strict forms.

The Middle Ground Between Signature and Photo Limits

30 KB sits in a useful gap. It is generous enough that a small headshot keeps recognisable detail, and tight enough to satisfy forms that treat anything above 50 KB as too big. If a portal gives you a range rather than a hard number - "between 10 KB and 50 KB" is common - 30 KB is a safe middle to aim for, because it clears the minimum without brushing against the maximum. Set the target, check the preview, and download; if the result looks soft, nudge the target up rather than accepting a blurry upload.

How to Compress an Image

Upload your image

Pick a JPG, PNG, WebP, or GIF file from your device. It stays on your computer - nothing is sent to a server.

Set a target size or quality

Type the exact KB size a form or upload limit requires, tap one of the presets, or switch to the quality slider for manual control.

Download the compressed file

Check the before and after sizes, then save the smaller image in JPG, PNG, or WebP.

When 30 KB Is the Right Target

Forms that specify a 10-50 KB range for photos or signatures
Small profile pictures on membership and alumni portals
Document thumbnails attached to an application record
Compressing a scanned ID photo before emailing it
Product thumbnails on a listing page that must load fast
Any upload where 20 KB looks too rough but 50 KB is refused

Compressing to 30 KB

How much quality do I lose at 30 KB?

That depends on the pixel dimensions. A 300 × 300 photo at 30 KB looks fine; a 3000 × 2000 photo at 30 KB will not. Resize first if your image is large and detail matters.

My form says 10 KB to 50 KB - what should I pick?

Aim near the top of the range for the best quality that still passes. 30 KB is a safe middle, and 45 KB is usually accepted if the maximum is 50 KB.

Can I go back if 30 KB is too small?

Yes. Change the target number and the result updates immediately - nothing is committed until you download.

Does compressing twice make it smaller?

No, and it will look worse. Always compress the original file rather than a file you already compressed.

Compress Image to 30KB

The Middle Ground Between Signature and Photo Limits

How to Compress an Image

When 30 KB Is the Right Target

Compressing to 30 KB

Related tools

Compress Image to 20KB

Compress Image to 50KB

Reduce Image Size in KB