# Picture and file size limits

WhatsApp and the other channels refuse a file that is too big, and every send of that file fails. Mampu AI checks the size the moment you add a file, so a file that is too big never reaches your customers' messages. You see a message such as *This image is 5.52 MB. The limit is 5 MB, so please upload a smaller file.* and the file is not saved.

## The limits

Files your AI agent or a Flow Agent sends go out on your account's own channels, so they must fit every channel you have connected:

| File | WhatsApp (normal number) | WhatsApp API (Cloud) | Facebook and Instagram | TikTok |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image (JPEG, PNG and other pictures) | 16 MB | 5 MB | 8 MB | 3 MB |
| Video | 16 MB | 16 MB | 25 MB | — |
| Audio | 16 MB | 16 MB | 25 MB | — |
| Document (PDF and other files) | 100 MB | 100 MB | 25 MB | — |

Your limit for each kind of file is the smallest among the channels you use. For example, an account on normal WhatsApp numbers only can add pictures up to 16 MB; once it also connects a WhatsApp API number, pictures must be 5 MB or smaller. Until you connect one of these channels, the smallest of all of them applies: 5 MB for an image, 16 MB for a video or audio and 25 MB for a document.

If you connect a channel with smaller limits later, files you added before stay as they are, but ones over the new limit will not reach customers on that channel. Replace them with smaller copies.

These limits apply to:

* media in **AI Knowledge** answers, FAQs, promos and product photos
* attachments on a Flow Agent's **Send message** step
* media in **Settings → Message Sequences** steps

The picture, video or document at the top of a **WhatsApp template** is only ever sent on WhatsApp, so it follows WhatsApp's own limits: 5 MB for an image, 16 MB for a video and 100 MB for a document. This applies in **Settings → WhatsApp Templates**, when you create a template on an inbox, and when you pick a file for a template in a reply or a blast.

## A template whose file is already too big

A template may still hold a file that was uploaded before sizes were checked. When you pick that template in a conversation reply, a new conversation or a WhatsApp blast, its file shows in red with the reason, and **Send message** or **Create** stays off until you replace it:

![A template file that is too big, shown in red with the reason](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/file-size-limit-template-file.jpg)

1. Click the **×** on the file.
2. Upload a smaller file, or paste a link to one.
3. Send or create the blast as usual.

To fix the template for every future send, edit it in **Settings → WhatsApp Templates** and upload a smaller example under **Header**. WhatsApp reviews the change like any other edit. A message sequence step that uses the template shows the same reason under its media link, and the sequence cannot be saved until the file fits.

## Making a file smaller

* **Pictures**: save as JPEG instead of PNG, or reduce the width to around 1600 pixels. A photo that size is usually well under 1 MB and still looks sharp on a phone.
* **Videos**: export at 720p, or trim the clip.
* **Documents**: use your PDF app's *Reduce file size* or *Optimise* option, or split a long document.

A file you upload in the **Playground** to play the customer's side of a test chat is not limited in the same way, because it stands in for what a customer sends you.

## Related

* [The WhatsApp Templates library](/settings/whatsapp-template-library)
* [WhatsApp blasting](/campaigns/whatsapp-campaigns)
* [Managing AI Knowledge](/flow-agents/managing-ai-knowledge)
* [Building the conversation flow](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow)
* [Message Sequences](/campaigns/message-sequences)

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Source: https://help.mampuai.com/settings/file-size-limits