If you already have a PDF, you can make it fillable without rebuilding it. Add text fields, checkboxes, dates, signatures, and other fields in the places where people need to enter information.
With PlatoForms, people fill out and submit the PDF in their browser. After they submit, you can review their answers and open or download a PDF with those answers filled into the original document.
This guide shows you how to do that step by step without Adobe Acrobat. It also covers the traditional Adobe Acrobat method and explains when a web form may work better.
What makes a PDF fillable?
A regular or “flat” PDF doesn’t have fields you can click and fill in. People can read it, but they can’t click the blank spaces and enter their answers.
A fillable PDF adds fields people can click to type an answer, check a box, choose an option, enter a date, or add a signature. Each field appears where the answer belongs—for example, a name field next to “Name” or a signature field above a signature line.
In PlatoForms, there are two ways to turn an existing PDF into something people can fill out online. You can keep the original PDF page and place fields directly over it, or turn the fields from the PDF into a web form that adjusts to different screen sizes.
The steps below use the first approach: keeping the original PDF layout.
Choose your starting point
- Already have a PDF: Upload it and place fillable fields over the existing layout. This is the main method covered below.
- Do not have a PDF yet: Create the document first with PDF Document Creator, then return to this guide to add and test the fields.
Method A: Create a fillable PDF online with PlatoForms
1. Start a PDF Fillable Form
From the PlatoForms dashboard, select Start to build (the blue button on the bottom left).
Under PDF → Online Form, choose PDF Fillable Form, then upload your PDF.
When prompted to choose a form type, keep PDF Fillable Form selected and choose Build a PDF Fillable Form.
2. Let AI find the fields
Once the PDF opens in the editor, you can add fields yourself or use AI-Powered form recognition to find them for you.
Select Start Now!. When PlatoForms finishes checking the PDF, select Load Form! to add the fields it found.
This can save time by finding places where people need to enter information. Always check the fields before publishing.
3. Check and adjust the fields
Check the fields the AI added. Move or resize any that are in the wrong place, remove ones you don’t need, and add anything it missed, such as text boxes, checkboxes, multiple-choice options, dropdowns, dates, or signatures.
Make sure each field asks for the right information, has a clear label, and is marked as required when needed. You can also set rules for what people are allowed to enter.
4. Preview and test the form
Open Preview & Design (on the top left) and fill out the form yourself.
Make sure the fields line up with the PDF, required fields can’t be skipped, choices work, and the text you enter fits in each field.
You can also use Fill Sample Data (on the top right) to fill the form with example answers before publishing.
5. Publish and share
Once you’ve tested the form, go back to the editor and click Publish. You can copy the link, send it by email, add the form to a website, or share a QR code.
People can open the form in their browser, fill it out, and submit it online—without downloading, editing, or sending the PDF file back.
Get the filled PDF
After someone submits the form, you can see their answers in PlatoForms and open or download the PDF with their answers filled in.
Depending on your settings, PlatoForms can also send the filled PDF as an email attachment or save it to connected cloud storage. You can also export submission data as a CSV file.
The process looks like this:
Original PDF → Add fields → Fill out online → Filled PDF
You can then save, share, or use the filled PDF as needed.
See Manage Form Submissions for more information.
Method B: Create a fillable PDF with Adobe Acrobat
You can also make an existing PDF fillable with Adobe Acrobat. Acrobat can find places to add fields automatically, and you can check and adjust them before saving the PDF.
1. Open Prepare a form
Open Adobe Acrobat and select All tools > Prepare a form.
2. Select your PDF
Choose Select a file and select the PDF you want to make fillable.
If you want other people to sign the form, select This document requires signatures. Then select Create form.
Acrobat opens the PDF for editing and adds fields where it finds places for people to enter information.
3. Check the fields
Check the fields Acrobat added. Delete any you don’t need, and move or resize fields as needed.
4. Add missing fields
If Acrobat missed anything, use Add Form Components in the Prepare a form panel to add the fields you need.
5. Preview and save
Select Preview to check the form. If anything needs fixing, go back and make your changes. When everything looks right, save the fillable PDF.
For the latest interface and options, see Adobe’s official Convert documents to PDF forms guide.
If you send the saved PDF as an attachment, you also need to decide how recipients will return the completed file and where those files will be stored. An online workflow provides a browser link and keeps submitted PDFs together in a submissions area.
If you’re deciding between the two, see PlatoForms vs Adobe Acrobat.
Starting with a Word document?
If your document starts in Microsoft Word, finish the content and layout first, then save or export it as a PDF before making it fillable.
See the Word to fillable PDF guide for the full steps.
LibreOffice is another option if you want to create a fillable PDF file with a free desktop application.
Should you use a fillable PDF or a web form?
The choice comes down to what matters more: keeping the original document as it is or making it easier to fill out on different screen sizes.
Choose a fillable PDF form when people need to fill in the original document itself. Choose an online web form when the questions are more important than keeping the original page exactly as it is.
For example, an agreement or official document usually makes more sense as a fillable PDF, while a survey or registration form may be easier to complete as a web form.
Not sure which one fits your needs? See Compare PlatoForms form types for a closer look at the options.
Other form workflows: Adobe Acrobat focuses on creating and editing the PDF file. PlatoForms combines the original PDF with online sharing and submission collection. Jotform follows a more form-first workflow; see the PlatoForms vs Jotform guide if you need a product-level comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a fillable PDF from Word?
Finish the content and layout in Word first, then save or export the document as a PDF. Open the PDF in a form editor, add the fields people need to fill in, and test the form before sharing it.
For detailed steps, see the Word to fillable PDF guide.
Do recipients need Adobe Reader to fill the form I created?
Not necessarily. It depends on how you share the form.
If you send the PDF file itself, the recipient needs an app that can fill in its form fields. If you use PlatoForms to publish the form online, people can fill it out and submit it in their browser instead.
How can I add a signature field to a PDF?
In the PlatoForms editor, add a signature field and place it where you want the person to sign on the PDF.
Before publishing the form, preview it to make sure the signature field is in the right place and works as expected.
How do I turn a scanned PDF into a fillable PDF?
Scan the paper document and save it as a PDF first. Then upload the PDF to PlatoForms and add fields where people need to enter information.
Because scanned pages are usually images, make sure the document is clear and check that each field is in the right place before sharing the form.
What is the difference between creating a fillable PDF and typing on a flat PDF?
A fillable PDF has fields in specific places for people to enter information. Typing on a flat PDF usually means adding text or other marks to a PDF that does not already have fillable fields.
Fillable fields are more useful when you want different people to complete the same document in the same places.
How do I test required fields in PlatoForms?
In PlatoForms, preview the form and fill it out as a respondent would. Try submitting it with a required field left empty to make sure the form asks you to complete it. Then enter sample answers and check that everything appears in the right place.
Go through the whole form once before publishing it to make sure the fields are clear and easy to complete.
Ready to make your PDF fillable?
Have a PDF ready? Upload it to PlatoForms and start adding the fields you need.
Upload your PDF — make fields fillable
Need help along the way? See Create your first online form for step-by-step PlatoForms instructions.
Starting from scratch? Create your document with the PDF Document Creator or choose a PDF template.
