First conversion
A quick walkthrough to get you from sign-up to your first download.
1. Sign in
Go to fileforge.aldrickb.app and create an account. You can sign up with email + password or Google.
Confirm the email link if you used the password flow.
2. Start a conversion
Click Convert in the sidebar (the hammer icon).
3. Pick a file
Drag a file into the dropzone or click to browse. The dropzone hint shows which families your tier supports — Free users see all five (Image, Audio, Video, Document, Archive) with Pro-only formats locked.
File size
Free accounts are limited to 10 MB per file. Pro accounts can upload up to 500 MB.
4. Choose a target format and preset
The format picker shows all targets your tier allows for the source type. Free-only targets show a lock icon — upgrading unlocks them.
Pick a preset (Web, High, Standard, etc.) if you want quality control, or leave the default. Presets are server-validated; you can't pass arbitrary flags. See Presets for what each one does.
5. Hit Convert
The progress bar updates live through scanning → queued → processing. Most image conversions finish in under a second; video can take longer depending on the file size and worker queue depth.
6. Download
When the status says Completed, click Download. The file is yours to keep — but it will auto-delete from our servers after your retention window (24 hours for Free, 7 days for Pro).
Common hiccups
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| "File too large" | Your file exceeds the 10 MB Free limit. Upgrade for 500 MB. |
| "Malware detected" | ClamAV flagged the file. The upload is quarantined and deleted. Review the source file. |
| "Daily limit reached" | Free accounts get 5 conversions/day. Wait for the UTC-midnight reset or upgrade. |
| "Format requires Pro" | You picked a Pro-only target. Pick a Free-tier target or upgrade. See Formats for the full matrix. |
| Conversion stuck in "queued" | Workers may be busy. Pro submissions get priority. Check Limits for rate limit details. |