How to make a PDF form fillable
Open Create a form, tap Find the blanks for me, check the fields it adds, and press Make it fillable.
Create a formFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Create a form and add the PDF.
- Tap Find the blanks for me to turn lines and empty boxes into fields.
- Drag across any other space where an answer goes, choosing Text, Paragraph, Tick box or Choice list.
- Tap a field to rename it or take it away.
- Press Make it fillable and save the form.
Finding the blanks
Find the blanks looks through the page’s text for lines of underscores and empty tick boxes, and puts a field on each, named after the words beside it. It saves a lot of dragging on a long form, but check every one: a decorative line may become a field it should not.
Real form fields
The fields are standard PDF form fields, so the form can be filled in Adobe Acrobat, a phone’s PDF viewer, a browser, or Fill in a form. Choice lists offer the options you type, so answers come back consistent.
Starting from paper
Only have a printed copy? Photograph it with Scan in Black and white, then bring the PDF here. A scan is a picture with no text in it, so Find the blanks has nothing to look through: drag the fields on by hand.
A worked example
A school wants parents to fill in an admission form on their phones. Open Create a form and add the PDF. Tap Find the blanks for me: each line of underscores becomes a text field named after the words beside it, such as Name of the child. Add a Paragraph field for the address, Tick box fields for transport and lunch, and a Choice list for the class, with the choices typed in and separated by commas.
Rename anything unclear, press Make it fillable, and fill the result once yourself in Fill in a form before sending it to every parent.
Naming fields well
The name is what many readers show beside the box, and what saved answers are matched by. Use plain names that say what goes in: Father’s name, Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY), Mobile number. Each field needs a name of its own; if you give two the same name, a number is added to keep them apart.
Choice lists keep answers tidy. A list of classes, blood groups, or simply Yes and No gives answers you can sort later, where free typing gives every spelling there is. Keep text fields for answers that really are free, such as names and addresses.
Common mistakes
Trusting Find the blanks without checking: a decorative line of underscores becomes a field too. Drawing fields too small for a phone: make a text box as tall as the printed line, and a tick box big enough for a finger. And forgetting that the field sits on top of the page; a field drawn over printed words hides them when someone types in it.
Questions people ask
What kinds of field can I add?
Text, Paragraph for longer answers, Tick box, and Choice list.
Is my form uploaded?
No. The fields are added in your browser.
Can people fill it on a phone?
Yes. Most phone PDF viewers and browsers can fill standard form fields.
Does it change how the form looks?
No. The fields sit over the page; the printed form underneath is not touched.
Can I add a place for a signature?
Leave that space empty: people can place a drawn signature on it with Sign after filling in the form.
Will people need special software to fill it?
No. Acrobat Reader, the viewers built into browsers and most phone PDF apps fill standard fields, and so does Fill in a form here.
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