How to fill in a PDF form
Open Fill in a form, add the PDF, type your answers in the boxes it lists, and press Fill it in.
Fill in a formFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Fill in a form and add the PDF form.
- Type your answers in the fields shown, and tick the boxes that apply.
- Tick Seal the answers if nobody should change them afterwards.
- Tick Also save my answers as a file if you will fill the same form again.
- Press Fill it in and save the filled form.
If it says the PDF has no fields
Many forms are just printed pages saved as PDF, with lines to write on but no boxes to type into. The tool says so when it finds no fields. Write on those with Add text: tap the line and type. If you will hand the same form to many people, Create a form turns it into a real fillable one.
Sealed or still editable
Leave Seal the answers off and the form stays fillable, so it can be corrected later. Turn it on and the answers become part of the page, which is what you want before sending a final copy.
The same form next month
Also save my answers as a file keeps a small .json of what you typed. Next time, choose that file and the form fills itself in. It also reads .xfdf answers saved from Adobe Acrobat. Then sign the form with Sign.
A worked example
A scholarship form arrives as a fillable PDF. Open Fill in a form and add it. The fields appear as a list with their names: type your answers, tick the boxes that apply, and choose from the drop-down lists. Tick Also save my answers as a file, since next year’s form will ask the same things. Leave Seal the answers off, press Fill it in, and check the result. When it is right, fill it again with Seal the answers on for the copy you send.
Fields with unhelpful names
Field names come from whoever made the form, and some say little, like Text1 or Field_23. When a name does not tell you what goes in it, open the form in Read in another tab to see the printed labels, or fill that field with a test word, save, and see where it lands. Your original is never changed, so trying costs nothing.
Languages and fonts
Answers are written with the form’s own font where it can draw them. An answer in Malayalam or Hindi is kept as real words in the field and shown with a picture of the words drawn inside the box, so it reads correctly in any reader and stays put when you seal the form.
Dates and numbers deserve a second look: type them in the format the form asks for, such as DD/MM/YYYY, because each answer goes into its field exactly as typed.
Questions people ask
Are my answers sent anywhere?
No. They are written into the PDF in your browser. Nothing you type leaves your device.
Can I fill a form that has a password?
Yes. Type its password when asked; the filled copy keeps the same password.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat?
No. Any browser on a phone or computer works.
Can I sign the form too?
Yes. Fill it in first, then take the result to Sign with the Then button.
Why do my saved answers not fill a new form?
Answers are matched by field name. A new version of the form with renamed fields will not match, and the tool says so rather than filling the wrong boxes.
Can I fill the form on my phone?
Yes. The fields are listed as ordinary boxes, so typing on a phone keyboard is easy, and the result can be shared straight from the phone.
Your file stays on your device. Foolscap does the work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing for anyone to keep. How you can check