How to make your PDF fillable
- Choose a PDF. Open a standard PDF or scan from your device, or start with a blank A4 page.
- Place fields. Choose a field type, add it, and drag it over the answer area. Use numeric settings for exact placement.
- Configure and test. Set names, descriptions, choices, and defaults. Switch to Preview form to test the controls.
- Download. Download the fillable PDF and reopen it in a PDF viewer. Save a separate flattened copy only when fields should no longer be interactive.
Choose the right field for each answer
Use a text field for names, addresses, and short answers. Enable multiline for longer responses and leave enough room for the expected answer. A maximum length is useful for reference codes, but should not unnecessarily restrict names or addresses.
Checkboxes represent independent choices. A radio group represents mutually exclusive answers, such as one preferred contact method. Dropdowns save space when the recipient chooses one item from a longer list. A list box keeps several choices visible. Enter radio choice labels in settings; they are included in your downloaded form.
Add pages, instructions, and images
Use the plus button beside Pages to append a blank page matching the current page size. Page thumbnails preserve the page proportions. Use their duplicate and delete icons to manage pages, and Undo to reverse a change. A duplicate includes the page content and added fields, with independent names for its answers. Keep at least one page. For imported PDFs with existing form fields, page duplication and deletion are restricted to protect those fields.
Added pages are included in downloads and local drafts. The Add content menu adds ordinary text, rectangles, logos, or visible signature images. These items become page content, not interactive answers. Use Add field for controls recipients can fill in.
For a radio group, enter one choice per line and choose horizontal or vertical arrangement. Choice labels are included in the exported PDF. Widen the group if a label does not fit. Image resizing preserves proportions by default.
Style fields for readable answers
Select a field to adjust its font size, text colour, fill colour, and border colour in the top toolbar. Border width is measured in PDF points and can be set from 0 to 12. Choose 0 for no visible border, or use a modest border to distinguish the answer area from the page background.
Keep strong contrast between text and fill, and leave enough space for longer answers. Test both the on-site preview and a downloaded copy in your recipients' PDF viewer. Viewers can display focus and selection highlights differently, so check the appearance while typing as well as after leaving a field.
A form builder is different from a form filler
The builder creates the interactive places where someone can enter an answer. A form filler completes those places. Drawing a rectangle or adding visible text does not create an interactive PDF field. This tool adds standard PDF fields while keeping the underlying page content.
Existing fields appear in the field list. Use Edit to convert a supported single-widget field, then resize, move, style, duplicate, or delete it with the normal controls. Conversion replaces its original definition on download, uses Helvetica, and does not retain custom formatting or actions. Review the confirmation before proceeding. Undo and local drafts retain the conversion state.
Linked widgets, existing radio groups, multi-select lists, and choices with distinct display and export values are protected from conversion. They remain available for testing in Preview form. New fields need unique names. Duplicating an editable field creates an independent answer, rather than linking both locations to the same value.
Working with scanned paper forms
A scan can become fillable without reconstructing its text. Place each field over a blank answer area. The printed instructions and layout remain in the background. Start with a straight, readable scan: adding fields cannot repair blurred instructions or missing sections.
Detect fields checks the current page for visible answer lines and boxes, including those in scans. Nothing is added automatically: review suggestions and choose Add this field or Skip. Existing field areas are excluded. Detection is conservative and may miss faint or tilted lines or mistake a decorative box for an answer area. It does not read labels with OCR or infer dropdown choices and radio groups. Adjust added fields manually and test them before sharing.
Use the hand tool to move around a zoomed page without moving fields. Fit width is useful on a phone.
Prepare a template, not a test submission
Use Preview form to try typing and selecting answers. Preview values are temporary and never become template defaults automatically. Default values belong in Field settings. Before sharing, check those settings for example names or personal information you do not intend to distribute.
Keep the fillable download for recipients. A flattened copy removes interactivity, including any original fields in the source file. Flattening is not password protection and does not make a PDF impossible to modify with editing software.
Names, descriptions, and keyboard navigation
Give fields recognizable names such as contact_email rather than leaving every field as a generic text box. Add a description that explains what to enter. Required settings communicate intent, but not all viewers stop users from saving incomplete forms. Include visible instructions where completion is important.
The exported pages use row-based tab ordering. Check the order in your recipient's viewer. Field descriptions help accessibility, but this tool does not automatically tag the whole document or certify PDF/UA compliance. Source reading order and document structure still matter.
Private processing and local drafts
Document editing and PDF generation run in your browser. Save draft locally is optional and stores the source PDF and your field settings in this browser. It is not encrypted storage or a cloud backup. Avoid saving confidential drafts on shared devices, and use Delete draft when finished.
This version supports standard PDFs, not XFA form editing or certificate-based signatures. Imported scripts are not executed by the editor, but the tool is not a sanitizer and does not promise to remove every existing document action. Use trusted source documents. Long or complex PDFs may exceed a device's available memory.
Frequently asked questions
Does my PDF get uploaded?
No. The PDF is opened, rendered, and exported on your device. Optional drafts are stored in this browser, not in an online account.
Can I make a scanned form fillable?
Yes. The scan stays as the page background. Add fields manually or use Detect fields to suggest visible answer lines and boxes on the current page. Review suggestions individually before adding them. Detection does not read labels with OCR or guarantee every answer area will be found.
Can I change fields already in my PDF?
Use Edit beside a supported existing field to convert it to an editable standard field. Single-widget text fields, checkboxes, and simple dropdowns and list boxes are supported. Conversion uses Helvetica and does not retain custom formatting or actions; confirmation is required and Undo restores the original. Linked widgets, radio groups, multi-select lists, and choices with separate export values remain preserved and previewable, but are not editable in this version.
Can I open a password-protected PDF?
Yes. When a password is needed, the tool asks you to enter it before opening the document locally. Only open documents you are authorized to edit. The downloaded form does not automatically retain the original password protection.
Can I duplicate or delete pages?
Yes. Use the duplicate or delete icon beneath a page thumbnail. Duplicating copies the page and its added fields with independent field names. Undo can restore a deleted page, and at least one page must remain. Page duplication and deletion are restricted when the imported PDF already contains form fields, to avoid damaging them.
Will preview answers appear in my downloaded template?
No. Test answers are temporary. Export uses the default values from field settings. Keep those blank when distributing a blank form.
Does this create digital signatures?
You can upload a visible PNG or JPG signature image as ordinary page content. It is not a certificate-based digital signature or an interactive signing field. PDFs containing digital signature fields are rejected to avoid damaging signatures. Use an unsigned original.
Will the form work in every PDF viewer?
Standard fields are designed for compatible PDF viewers, but appearance, tab navigation, and required-field enforcement vary. Test a downloaded copy in the viewer your recipients use before distributing it.
What does flattening do?
Flattening converts field appearances into page content and removes the interactive fields. Use the default fillable download for a reusable template. Flatten only a final copy that does not need editable answers.
Choose the right tool for your document
For a regular, non-fillable document, use Create PDF. To complete fields that already exist, fill an existing form. To write on a PDF without adding interactive fields, add visible text and annotations.