Data sets: fill many fields at once

A data set is a saved list of answers, like a name, an address, and a phone number. When you apply it to a PDF, AnyPDFfiller fills every field whose name matches, on every page, in one step.

Data sets are part of Premium.

When they help

Data sets save the most time when you fill the same kind of details into many forms, such as:

• details about each employee, for new-hire paperwork,
• details about each family member, for school or medical forms,
• details about each client or customer, for contracts and intake forms.

Make one data set per person or per client. Then pick the right one each time.

How matching works

A data set is a list of pairs: a field name and a value.

When you apply it, AnyPDFfiller looks at the label of each text field in your PDF. If a label is exactly the same as a field name in the data set, that field gets the value. Fields with no match are left as they are.

The match must be exact. “Last Name” and “Last name” are not the same. Neither are “Phone” and “Phone number.” So pick your names once and use them the same way every time.

Create a data set

1. Go to My Account and open the Fields tab.
2. Click Manage Data Sets.

3. Click + New Data Set.
4. Add each field name and its value.

5. Click Create Data Set. It is ready to use.

Apply a data set to a form

1. Open your PDF in the editor.
2. Add text fields for the details you want filled. Give each one a label that matches a field name in your data set.

3. Click Apply Data Set and pick a data set.
4. A message warns that matching fields will be overwritten, since any text already in them gets replaced. Confirm to continue.

All matching fields, on all pages, now hold the saved values. Check them, then add anything the data set did not cover.

Tips

• Pair data sets with templates. Set up a template with field labels that match your data set. Then each new form is: open the template, apply the data set, download.
• Fill in the blanks first, not last. Applying a data set replaces text in matching fields. Apply it before you type anything by hand into those fields.
• Keep a short list of names. A handful of standard names, like “Full name,” “Address,” and “Phone,” is easier to match than many near-copies.

Data sets vs. reusable fields

A reusable field is one saved detail that you place by hand. A data set fills many fields at once, but only the ones whose names match. Use reusable fields for quick one-off details, and data sets for filling a whole form’s worth of answers.