Create Fillable PDF Form

How to create a fillable PDF form

1. Upload the PDF you want to turn into a form, such as an exported document or a scanned paper form.
2. Choose a form field tool (text field, checkbox, dropdown or radio button) and click where the answer should go.
3. Drag the handles to size and align each field, and give it a clear name in the properties panel. For dropdowns, list the choices; radio buttons with the same name form one group.
4. Download the PDF and test it in Fill PDF Form or any PDF reader.

Real form fields, not just boxes

The fields you add are standard interactive PDF form fields (AcroForm), the same kind Acrobat creates. Recipients can click into them and type in Adobe Reader, in Chrome, Edge and Firefox's built-in PDF viewers, and in most mobile PDF apps, without needing any special software.

This is especially useful for paper forms that have been scanned: place a text field over each blank line and a checkbox over each tick box, and the scan becomes a form people can complete on screen.

Designing a form people can fill easily

• Size fields to the answer. A postcode needs a short field, an address a wide one.
• Name fields meaningfully, for example first_name or start_date. Names are invisible to the person filling in the form but help if the answers are exported or processed later.
• Align fields with the printed lines so the filled form looks tidy when printed.
• Test before sending. Fill the form yourself to check every field works and nothing overlaps.

Good to know

Fields are added on top of the existing page and do not change its content. Advanced features such as calculations, validation scripts and dynamic XFA forms are not created by this tool. The whole process runs in your browser, so confidential forms are never uploaded.

Frequently asked questions