Create Fillable PDF Form

To make a PDF form fillable, add the PDF here, pick a field type and click or drag on the page where people should type, tick or choose. Name each field, then press Create fillable PDF and download the new file. You can add text boxes, paragraph boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, date fields and signature lines.

The fields are standard AcroForm fields, the form format that Adobe Acrobat Reader, Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Preview on a Mac can all fill. Your PDF is turned into a fillable form in your browser and is never uploaded.

Start from the finished document, with its labels, lines and boxes already in place. Making it fillable only adds fields on top of the page. Fix spelling and layout first in Word or Google Docs, then save the file as a PDF.

Add the PDF and work down each page. For a typed answer, pick Text and drag over the line where the answer goes. Use Paragraph for comments and addresses that need several lines. Leave Text size on Auto when the box is small, so the viewer shrinks long answers to fit. A fixed size such as 10 or 11 points looks tidier on long forms.

When every blank has a field, click through the list of fields on the right and give each one a clear name, like First name or Start date. People never see the names, but they appear in exported form data and help anyone who edits the form later. A tooltip, such as Enter your date of birth, is shown on hover and read out by screen readers.

Use a checkbox for a single yes or no answer, like I agree to the terms. Use radio buttons when people must pick exactly one answer from a short list, like Yes, No or Not sure. Use a dropdown for longer lists, like countries or departments.

Radio buttons work in groups. Place the first button, then keep it selected and click next to each of the other answers. Every button placed while a radio button is selected joins the same group, so picking one clears the others. To start the next question, press Esc so no button is selected, then place its first button. Give each button a value, such as Yes or No. The value is what the form stores, while the printed label on the page is what people read.

A date field is a text field sized for a date, with the tooltip Date (MM/DD/YYYY). Change the tooltip to DD/MM/YYYY or another format if your readers expect one. The format is only a hint. Nothing checks what people type, because date checks need scripts that only Acrobat runs.

A signature field is a larger text line where the person types their name, Many offices accept a typed name as a simple electronic signature. It is not a certificate-based digital signature. To sign the form yourself with a drawn or uploaded signature, fill it first and then use eSign PDF.

A scanned paper form is only a picture of the page, but you can still place fields on top of it. Add the scan, draw a field over each blank and download. Find blanks needs real text. On a scan, run OCR PDF first or draw the fields by hand.

Forms saved from Word or Google Docs often use typed underscores for blanks. Press Add text fields on ____ lines and a text field is placed on each run of three or more underscores. Lines drawn as shapes or table borders are not detected, so add those fields yourself.

These settings make a fillable form quicker to fill and easier to read.

Most PDFs work straight away. If something looks wrong, the cause is usually one of these.