The safest way to make an animated GIF smaller is to change one thing at a time. Start with compression, then resize only if the file is still too large.
Step 1: Compress the animated GIF
Open the GIF compressor, add your file, and use Balanced. This is the best first pass when you want a smaller GIF but still care about color and motion.
Step 2: Increase compression
If the file is still too heavy, switch to Smaller file. This is a stronger setting for reducing animated GIF size, especially for reaction GIFs, short loops, and simple motion.
Use Maximum compression when passing an upload limit matters more than perfect detail.
Step 3: Resize the GIF
If compression alone does not work, resize the GIF. A 75% scale often reduces file size without making the GIF feel tiny. A 50% scale is better for strict upload limits or small previews.
Step 4: Test the result
Always test the compressed GIF in the place where it will be used. A GIF that looks acceptable in a preview may still be too large for a form, chat tool, or CMS.
Quick rule
Compress first, resize second, and only use maximum compression when the file still fails the upload target.
For specific cases, read GIF too large to upload or compress GIF for Discord.