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Create and distribute PDF forms

Last updated on 19 Dec 2023 | Also applies to Adobe Acrobat 2017, Adobe Acrobat 2020

Before you begin

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Easily turn a scanned paper form or a simple form made in Microsoft Word, Excel, or another application into an intelligent PDF form.

Create a form from scratch

You can start with a blank PDF, add the required text and labels in the PDF, and then add form fields to complete the form. For more information, see How to create a form from scratch.

Create a form from an existing document

When you convert an existing document into a PDF form, Acrobat automatically adds interactive form fields to the form. You can then edit the form to add specialized form fields, such as a drop-down list, list box, or buttons.

In Acrobat Home, select See all tools > Prepare a form.
Select one of the following options:

Select a file

Converts an existing electronic document (for example, Word, Excel, or PDF) to an interactive PDF form. Choose a file and select Open.

Scan a document

Scans a paper form and converts it to an interactive PDF form.

Start from blank page

Start creating a form from scratch with a blank page. For more information, see How to create a form from scratch.
If you want others to sign this form, select the This Document Requires Signatures check box.

Note:

The form field auto detection is ON, by default. To change this setting, select the Change link and choose the settings as appropriate. For more information, see Forms preferences.
Select Create form.

Acrobat creates the form and opens it in the editing mode. The left pane displays form field tools for adding additional fields and editing the form. The right pane displays a list of existing form fields (if any).
Review the form fields Acrobat created. Add fields using the form field tools in the toolbar. Delete, resize, or arrange the fields as needed. You can add any of the following types of form fields:

Text

Add text to the PDF document.

Text field

Let the user type text, such as name, address, or phone number.

Image field

Adds an image field. Allows user to browse and select the image to add to the PDF document.

Checkbox

Present yes-or-no choices for individual items. If the form contains multiple check boxes, the user can typically select as many or few of these as wanted.

Radio button

Present a group of choices from which the user can select only one item. All radio buttons with the same name work together as a group.

Drop-down list

Let the user either choose an item from a pop-up menu or type a value. You can set a form field property that enables the user to enter a custom value.

List box

Display a list of options the user can select. You can set a form field property that enables the user to Shift-click to select multiple items on the list.

Button

Initiate a change on the user’s computer, such as opening a file, playing a sound, or submitting data to a web server. These buttons can be customized with images, text, and visual changes triggered by mouse actions.

Date field

Lets the user enter a date in the PDF document.

E-signature field

Lets the user electronically sign a PDF document with a digital signature.

Barcode

Encode the input from selected fields and display it as a visual pattern that can be interpreted by decoding software or hardware (available separately).

For more information, see How to add form fields and set their values.
To change existing text or images, select the back button ( < ) to go to the Edit tool. All the text and image fields are enabled for editing.
To test your form, select the Preview button on the left. 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 are previewing a form, you can select the Exit preview button to go back to the edit mode.
Save your form when doen with your changes. You can then Send or Share the form with the intended recipients.

To distribute the form and collect responses, see Distribute PDF or web forms.

Enable Reader users to save form data

Ordinarily, users of Acrobat Reader and earlier can’t save filled-in copies of forms that they complete. However, you can extend the rights of a PDF to allow these users to save form data. If you have Acrobat Pro, you can include additional capabilities for Acrobat Reader users, such as adding text to non-interactive forms.

Note:

Unlike earlier versions of Reader, Reader XI and higher versions of Reader include both the Add Text tool and the ability to save form data. Acrobat users can type in non-fillable forms, add comments, and digitally sign PDFs without extending special rights.

Open a single PDF, or preview a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio.
Choose the hamburger menu (Windows), ior the File menu (macOS), then select Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF, and choose one of the following options:

Enable Commenting & Measuring

(Acrobat Pro) Allows users to add comments or access the Object Data, Measuring, and Geospatial tools.

Enable More Tools (includes form fill-in & save)

Lets users save data they’ve entered in interactive or fillable forms.

Notes on saving filled-in forms locally

Both Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro allow Adobe Reader 8 or later users to fill in and save PDF forms locally. Note the following two points about the use of the Reader Extensions capability for local saving of PDF forms (called extended documents):

Number of deployed extended documents

An Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Pro customer can send an extended document to an unlimited number of recipients for them to fill in. For example, an Acrobat customer can post an empty form template on a web page that allows users to fill in and save PDF forms locally. An unlimited number of people can access the template. Also, the Acrobat customer can collect unlimited number of responses from the filled-in form.

Number of recipients of the extended document

An Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Pro customer can send an extended document to unlimited number of recipients. The Acrobat customer can send unlimited number of copies of the extended document to unlimited number of recipients and collect unlimited number of responses from the filled-in form.

Adding JavaScript to forms

The JavaScript language lets you create interactive web pages. Adobe has enhanced JavaScript so that you can easily integrate interactivity into PDF forms. The most common uses for JavaScript in Acrobat forms are formatting, calculating, validating data, and assigning an action. In Windows, you can also configure Adobe PDF forms to connect directly to databases using Open Database Connection (ODBC).

Note:

If you’re creating dynamic forms, keep in mind that Acrobat Reader doesn’t support some custom JavaScripts. The form may not function properly when viewed in Acrobat Reader unless additional usage rights are added to the PDF.

Additional resources

For more information on Acrobat JavaScript, see these resources:

JavaScript™ for Acrobat® API Reference to add interactivity to PDF forms: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_javascript_en (PDF, English only)
Acrobat Software Development Kit (SDK) to customize Acrobat: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_devcenter_en (English only)
File paths in Acrobat JavaScript: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/file-paths-acrobat-javascript

Distribute (send) forms to recipients

Distribute PDF or web forms

After you create a form, you choose a method for sending it to recipients.

Select Send in the lower-right corner of the left pane.
A series of messages might appear, depending on the conditions Acrobat detects in your form. Respond to the onscreen instructions as needed, and save the form.
Choose a distribution and collection method:

Email

Collect responses in your email inbox.

Internal Server

Distribute and collect responses on an internal server such as SharePoint or Network Folder. For more information, see Specify a server.

For more information, see Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms.
Select Continue and follow the onscreen instructions for distributing the form.
If you choose to collect responses in your email inbox, do one of the following:
- Enter the email addresses separated with a semi-colon, or click the To button to select email addresses from your address book.
- Edit the default message.
- Select the option Collect Name & Email from Recipients To Provide Optimal Tracking. The system prompts recipients to provide their name and email address when they submit the form. This guarantees that in Tracker, you see exactly who has and hasn't replied, and when.
- Deselect the option if you want to receive anonymous submissions, or you don't care about that level of tracking.
Note:

If you don’t know the email addresses of your recipients, enter your own email address. The system sends you a link to the form, which you can email to recipients as desired.

To track the status of the distributed form, click Track in the lower-right corner of the right pane. For more information, see About forms tracker.

Distribute Adobe Acrobat Sign forms

After you create an Acrobat Sign form, you can use Acrobat Sign service for sending it to recipients for filling in and signing.

From the global bar, select Sign > Request e-signatures.
In the Sign dialog box, type in the email addresses of people you want to sign your document. Add a message if desired. Then select Specify where to sign.
Select Send.

You receive an email from Acrobat Sign which states that the documents are sent to the first user for signature. The first user also receives an email to sign the document. When the user adds his or her signature in the Signature field, and then select the Click to sign button, the document is sent to the next user for signature and so on.

Everyone gets a copy of the signed document, and the file is stored securely in Adobe cloud.

For more information, see sending document for signatures.
To track the status of the Acrobat Sign form, see Track agreements sent for signature.

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