Concept
Storage, compression and freeing space
How much space your papers use, how compression makes them smaller without losing any text, and what to do when your storage is nearly full.
Every plan comes with space for your papers. CurTask makes each PDF smaller as it arrives, so the same space holds many more papers.
Compression keeps every word
When you import a paper, CurTask first reads its full text, then compresses the PDF. Because the text is captured before the file is made smaller, search and AI analysis always work from the whole document. Scanned papers often shrink the most.
You can see what compression saved in several places:
- In the import sheet, each file shows its size before and after (for example 12.4 MB → 3.1 MB) and how much smaller it became, with Storage saved so far at the bottom.
- In your Global Library, the Size column shows the stored file. Point at a size to see the original size and how much smaller it is.
- In the Queue, Storage saved today.
See how much space you use
Open Settings → Storage. It shows:
- Storage used, out of your plan's space, with a bar.
- How much was saved by compression.
- How many papers you have, and their average size before and after compression.
Only the stored (compressed) files count towards your storage. Your Home page shows your storage too.
Original files
Under Reclaim space, Original uncompressed files explains that CurTask keeps each original file for 30 days after import, then deletes it automatically. Originals don't count towards your storage.
When storage is nearly full
When you have used most of your space, Settings → Storage says so. When it is full, new imports can't be stored: the import sheet and the Queue show Storage full.
To make room, you can:
- delete papers you no longer need from your Global Library, or
- choose See plans for a plan with more space. See Plans and paid features.
Deleting a paper removes it, and everything learned about it, from every project. It can't be undone, so download your data first if you want a copy.
If your paid plan ends and you use more space than the Free plan allows, your papers, notes and writing stay, but they become read-only until you upgrade or remove some.
Papers without a PDF
A paper saved with its details only has no file, so it takes almost no space. See Papers without a PDF.