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PDF form field basics

Last updated on Dec 13, 2024 | Also applies to Adobe Acrobat 2017, Adobe Acrobat 2020

Before you begin

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Create PDF forms for data collection and organization in a few simple steps.

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Create form fields

In Acrobat, you create a form field using form tools. For each field type, you can set various options through the form field Properties dialog.

Open the document in Acrobat and select Edit > Prepare a form > Create form to convert your document to a PDF form.
Choose a form field from the left pane. Once you hover the cursor over the document, a preview of the field field is displayed.
On the page, select where you want to add the field to create a field with the default size. To create a field using a custom size, drag a rectangle to define the size of the field.
Place the field at your desired location. Double-click the field to open the properties of the field. In the Name box, type the field name and specify if you want the field to be required. Choose a relevant and descriptive name to make organizing and collecting the data easier.
The properties dialog box also displays other Field Properties. You can modify any other field properties.
To test your form, select the Preview button in the left pane. Previewing a form allows you to view the form the same way the form recipients will and gives you a chance to verify the form. If you're previewing a form, you can select Exit preview to return to the edit mode.
When your form is complete, select the cross button toward the right end of the toolbar to close form editing.

Lay out form fields on a grid

Use grids to help position form fields precisely on a page. You can define the grid spacing, color, and position. You can also choose whether to have the boundaries of a form field snap to grid lines when you’re editing the form field. Grid lines don’t print.

Select View (from the hamburger menu (Windows), or the upper left (macOS)).
Select Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Grid.
To make form fields snap to the nearest grid lines when you create or move them, select View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Snap to Grid.

Use form field properties to align fields

You can adjust the position of a form field by specifying the alignment in the form field properties.

Double click the form filed to open the Properties dialog box.
Select the Position tab. Use the options in the tab to accurately position or resize the selected field within the form.

To learn more about form field properties, see PDF form field properties.

Copy a form field

You can create copies of a form field on a single page of a PDF form. You can also copy a form field and paste it onto other pages. When you create duplicate form fields, replicas of the original field are added to one or more other pages. The duplicate fields are always in the same position on each page as the original. If a form field is already present at the location, the copied field will be pasted in the center of the page. Both copies and duplicates can be dragged to different locations on a page, but not from one page to another.

Both copies and duplicates are created with the same basic name as the original form field. Copies and duplicates pasted using the Duplicate Across Pages command also have a number. All form fields with the same basic name share the user data and action properties. Therefore, when a user adds or edits a response to a copy or duplicate field, the response appears in all fields with the same basic name.

If you change the properties of any one of multiple versions of a form field, the changes affect only that copy of the form field. The exception is changing an Actions listing if the trigger isn’t a mouse action.

Note:

To prevent a duplicate or copied form field from reacting in unison with the original field, change the name of the new form field.

Create a copy of a form field

If you aren't in the form editing mode, choose Prepare a form from All tools.
Select the form field, and do one of the following:
- To move the form field to the center of the current view, select the appropriate option in the left pane.
- To copy the form field and move it to another location on the page, Ctrl-drag it.
Tip:

To constrain the vertical or horizontal movement as you drag, press and hold Shift.
If you want the field to be automatically populated with the data the user types into the original field, leave the name as is. If the copied field is for unique user information, rename it.

Create multiple copies of a form field on a page

If you aren't in the form editing mode, choose Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Right-click the form field to open the context menu of the form field, and select Create Multiple Copies.
In the Create Multiple Copies Of Fields dialog, select Preview, and move the dialog box as needed so that you can see the original field and the copies on the form page.
Make the selections that you want to apply:
- To change the number of copies created, enter different values in the Copy selected fields down and Copy selected fields across options.
- To change the dimensions of the original field and all the copies, enter different values in the Change Width and Change Height options.
- To move the original field and all the copies, select the Up, Down, Left, and Right buttons.
If you want fields to be automatically populated with the data the user types in the original field, leave the names as they are. If the copied fields include unique user information, rename them.

Replicate a form field across multiple pages

If you aren't in the form editing mode, choose Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Right-click the form field to open the context menu of the form field, and select Duplicate Across Pages.

Note:

The Duplicate Across Pages command isn’t available for forms with only one page.
Do one of the following:
- To duplicate the form field on every page in the form, select All, and select OK.
- To duplicate the form field on a limited range of pages, select From, and type the start and ending pages on which you want the form field to appear. Then select OK.
Note:

Including or not including the page on which the form field originally appears doesn’t affect the duplication process. Including that page won’t create a second copy on top of the original one, and not including it won’t remove the original form field.
If you want the fields to be automatically populated with the data the user types into the original field, leave the names as they are. If the duplicate fields are for unique user information, rename them.

Select multiple form fields

Selecting multiple form fields is the first step for several tasks, such as creating copies, aligning form fields, and adjusting the spacing between form fields.

If you aren't in the form editing mode, choose Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Do any of the following:
- To select all form fields of all types, right-click in any form field to open the context menu and then select Select all.
- To select a range of form fields, select the first form field in the range, and then Shift-select the last form field. All form fields between the two form fields are selected.
- To select individual form fields in different parts of the PDF page, Ctrl/Command-select each form field.
- To select all form fields in an area of the page, use the Select Object tool to drag a selection marquee around the area.
- To deselect an individual form field, Ctrl/Command-select that field.
The field that is highlighted in dark blue and displays the border handles is the anchor. When you select multiple form fields by clicking, the last field selected is the anchor. When you use a marquee, the form field created first is the anchor. If you Ctrl-select to deselect the anchor, the form field on the upper left of the selection becomes the new anchor form field.

Resize form fields

After you create form fields, you can rearrange, resize, or move them to give the page a cleaner, more professional look.

Resize a form field

If you aren't in the form editing mode, choose Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Select the form field that you want to resize.
Do any of the following:
- To resize the field manually, drag a border handle. Hold Shift and drag a corner handle to maintain the current aspect ratio of the form field.
- To resize the field by one pixel, press the Ctrl+arrow key. To resize the field by ten pixels, press Ctrl+Shift+Arrow key.
- To resize to a specific dimension, select Properties from the field's context menu. Then select the Position tab and adjust the Width and Height values.

Resize multiple form fields to match a selected form field

If you aren't in the form editing mode, choose Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Select all the form fields that you want to resize.
Choose an appropriate option in the left pane under Match Size.

You can also open the context menu of the form field that you want the other selected form fields to match. Select Set Fields To Same Size, and then select one of the following:

Height

Adjusts the heights without changing the widths.

Width

Adjusts the widths without changing the heights.

Both

Adjust all widths and heights to match.

Move form fields

Move individual form fields

You can move form fields by simply dragging them. For greater precision in less time, use special features that align, adjust the spacing, and center them on the page.

If you aren't in the form editing mode, select Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Select one or more form fields that you want to move.
Do one of the following:
- To move to an approximate location, drag the selected form fields to the new location.
Tip:

To constrain movement to a horizontal or vertical direction, begin dragging, and then press Shift while continuing to drag the selection.
- To move to a specific location, open the field's context menu and choose Properties. Then select the Position tab and set the Position values.
- To move horizontally or vertically in small increments, press the arrow keys to nudge the selected form field into position.
- To move the form field to the exact center of a page, choose Edit > Cut, navigate to the desired page, and then choose Edit > Paste.
Note:

Fields are placed in the center of the page only the first time that they’re pasted. Other pasted fields are offset from the previously pasted field.

Align and center multiple form fields

If you aren't in the form editing mode, select Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Select two or more form fields that you want to align.
Select the appropriate option in the left pane.

You can also open the context menu of the field to which you want to align the other fields. Choose Align, Distribute Or Center, and then choose a command as follows:
- To align a column of fields, select Align Left, Align Right, or Align Vertical. They align respectively to the anchor form field's left edge, right edge, or vertical axis (center).
- To align a row of fields, choose Align Top, Align Bottom, or Align Horizontally. They align respectively to the anchor form field's top edge, bottom edge, or horizontal axis (center).
- To center the fields, choose Center Vertically, Center Horizontally, or Center Both.
Note:

When you open the context menu of one of the selected fields, it shows the border handles. It indicates that it’s the anchor form field. The Align commands move the other selected form fields to line up with the edges of the anchor form field.

Adjust the spacing between form fields

In the context of form fields, distributing means applying uniform spacing within a group of form fields. Spacing is calculated from the centers of adjacent fields. The Distribute commands take precedence over the Snap To Grid command.

If you aren't in the form editing mode, select Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
Select the form fields that you want to adjust.
Choose an appropriate option in the right pane under Distribute.

You can also open the context menu for any one of the selected form fields, and do one of the following:
- To distribute the fields evenly between the topmost and bottommost fields, choose Align, Distribute Or Center >Distribute Vertically.
- To distribute the fields evenly between the leftmost and rightmost fields, choose Align, Distribute Or Center >Distribute Horizontally.
Note:

The Distribute command at the bottom in the left pane has a different function. Use that command to send your form to others, who fill in the information and return the data to you.

Delete a form field

If you aren't in the form editing mode, select Prepare a form from the All tools panel.
In the right panel, under Fields or the page view, select the form fields that you want to delete.
From the context menu, choose Delete, or choose Edit > Delete.

Clear form

Open the PDF form you want to clear.
From the global bar in the upper-left, select All tools.
From the All Tools pane, select Prepare a Form.
From the right Fields pane, select Options > Clear form.

Add tracker to a form

Open the PDF form in which you want to add tracker.
From the global bar in the upper-left, select All tools.
From the All Tools pane, select Prepare a Form.
From the right Fields pane, select Options > Track status of forms sent.

Highlight existing fields in form

Open the PDF form that you want to highlight the fields for.
From the global bar in the upper-left, select All tools.
From the All Tools pane, select Prepare a Form.
From the Prepare a form tools pane, select Options > Highlight existing fields.

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