What a fillable PDF is
A fillable PDF has form fields built into the file. When someone opens it, they can click a box and type, or tick a checkbox. It works in the PDF reader they already have, such as Adobe Reader, Preview on a Mac, or a web browser.
A flat PDF has no fields. The lines and boxes are just printed on the page. Many forms made in Word, and every scanned form, are flat. To let people fill one on screen, you add fields to it. That is what "making a PDF fillable" means.
How to make a PDF fillable, step by step
- Upload your PDF. Open the editor and choose your file. It opens in your browser, so there is nothing to install.
- Add a text box on each blank. Click Form Field Detect and AI field detection places a text box on every blank it finds on the page. Or add text boxes yourself: double-click where a field should go.
- Add checkboxes. Use Check or X Mark on each box people should be able to tick.
- Line everything up. Drag each field onto its line and pull its edges to fit the box.
- Click Fillable PDF, then Leave fields empty. You get a blank fillable form, ready to send.
- Share it. Email the file or upload it anywhere. The people who get it fill it in their own PDF reader.
What the fillable PDF contains
- Text fields in the same place, size, and font as your text boxes. A tall box becomes a field that holds more than one line.
- Checkboxes wherever you placed a check mark or an X mark.
- Clear fields. The fields have no background or border, so the printed lines and boxes of your form still show through.
- Your PDF's own fields, kept. If the file already had some fields, they stay as they were. New fields never replace them.
- Signatures stay on the page. A signature you added is part of the page, not a field.
Leave fields empty
For a form you send to other people. Every field is blank and every checkbox is unticked, even if you typed test answers in the editor.
Keep what I typed
For a form you filled yourself but want to keep editable. Your answers are in the fields, and anyone can still change them later.
What it can't do yet
It is best to know the limits before you build a form:
- It makes text fields and checkboxes. It does not make drop-down lists, radio buttons, date pickers, or signature fields.
- Fields use Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Courier.
- The free download has a watermark on the page. Premium gives you a clean copy.
If you need drop-down lists or other complex fields, a full form designer is the better tool. For most everyday forms, text fields and checkboxes are all you need.
Works on flat and scanned PDFs
You can make almost any PDF fillable, even a form someone scanned. AI field detection reads the page as a picture, so it finds the blanks on a scan too. Then you export it as a fillable PDF like any other file.
Have a Word document? Save it as a PDF first (File, then Save As, then PDF), and upload that file.
Who makes fillable PDFs
Small businesses
Order forms, client intake sheets, and service agreements that customers fill before a first meeting.
Landlords and property managers
Rental applications and move-in checklists tenants can fill without printing.
Teachers and clubs
Sign-up sheets, permission slips, and worksheets that go out by email.
HR and office teams
Onboarding forms and requests that staff fill and send back.
Free vs Premium
You can make a PDF fillable for free.
Free
- ✓ Upload any PDF
- ✓ Add text boxes and checkboxes
- ✓ AI field detection, 5 a week
- ✓ Download a fillable PDF (with a watermark)
Premium
- ✓ Clean fillable PDFs, no watermark
- ✓ AI field detection, 15 a week
- ✓ Templates to reuse a form's layout
- ✓ Save projects and finish later
Making a PDF fillable — questions people ask
Can I make a PDF fillable for free?
Yes. You can add fields and download a fillable PDF for free. The free file has a watermark on the page. Premium gives you a copy without it.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat to make a PDF fillable?
No. You add the fields in your browser and download the finished file. The people you send it to don't need Acrobat either. They can fill it in Adobe Reader, Preview, or a web browser.
How do I add fillable fields to a PDF?
Place a text box on each blank, either with AI field detection or by double-clicking the spot. Add a check mark on each box people should tick. Then click Fillable PDF and choose Leave fields empty.
Can I add checkboxes?
Yes. Every check mark or X mark you place becomes a checkbox in the fillable PDF. In a blank form they start unticked.
Can I make a scanned PDF fillable?
Yes. A scan has no fields of its own, so you add them on top. AI field detection can find the blanks on a scanned page for you.
How do I change a fillable PDF later?
Upload the same form again, change the fields in the editor, and download a new fillable PDF. With Premium, you can save it as a template so the fields are already in place next time.
What if my PDF already has some fields?
They stay as they are. The fields you add are new fields next to them, with their own names, so nothing in the original form is replaced.
I only need to fill a form, not make one. Do I need this?
No. You can type on any PDF, fillable or not, and download it. See how to fill a PDF form online.
