Completed PDFs
On this page
Every submission of a PDF-based form produces a completed PDF: the original PDF pages with the answers printed in place. This is the main output of a PDF Fillable Form, a Web PDF Form and a Master Form (one PDF per linked PDF).
Classic and conversational Web Forms have no PDF of their own. Their submissions can still be opened as a PDF laid out from the answers; see Customize a web form’s PDF.
Where to find the completed PDF
| Where | What |
|---|---|
| Submissions page, row Actions > Open PDF / Download PDF (master forms: View PDF) | The current PDF of the submission. See Manage submissions and PDFs |
| Row Actions > Revisions … | The PDF of each earlier revision |
| Submissions toolbar export with Include PDFs | The PDFs of many submissions at once. See Export form submissions |
Notification emails with {{ attach_pdf_file }} or {{ shared_pdf_link }} |
The PDF attached or linked. See Use variables in Email Body |
| Row Actions > Share … | PDF Download Links, with the expiry you choose |
| Your cloud drive, if connected | A copy uploaded after each submission; for web forms only when the drive’s Upload Data in PDF option is on. See Cloud drive |
| The thank-you page (PDF-based forms) | A Download link for the respondent, right after submitting |
The file name follows the form’s PDF name pattern. See Downloaded file names.
When the PDF is created
For PDF-based forms, the PDF is created in the background right after the submission is saved. It is created again on every re-submission: each new revision gets a new PDF, and the PDFs of earlier revisions are kept under Revisions …. Drafts saved with Save for Later have no PDF.
A PDF-based form’s submission appears on the Submissions page only once its PDF exists. For a master form, that is once its first linked PDF exists. Notification emails, Google Sheets, Slack, cloud drive uploads and form reminders also wait for the PDF, so the attached PDF is always the finished one.
If a new submission is not on the Submissions page yet, its PDF is still being created. Wait a minute and reload.
A web form’s submission appears on the Submissions page right away. Its PDF is made the first time it is opened, downloaded, attached to an email or uploaded, and then kept.
The PDF uses the version of the form the submission was made on. Publishing a new version, or changing fields later, does not change PDFs that already exist. Re-Submit Form also keeps the version the submission was made on, so only a new submission gets the new layout.
What is printed
- Only fields placed on the PDF are printed. A field whose Print in PDF is off is not printed, and logic can change this per submission with print in PDF and don’t print in PDF. Fields on pages skipped by logic are not printed.
- Photos and images uploaded in fields that print on the PDF are printed in their box.
- How each value looks (font, size, spacing, overflow) is set per field in its PDF attributes.
- The completed PDF is flat, not fillable. The original PDF’s own fillable fields and annotations are removed.
For a master form, only published linked PDFs produce a PDF; a linked PDF still in draft is skipped, and the logic action skip PDF print leaves one out for that submission. With Merge PDFs into one at final step on, a merged PDF of all linked PDFs is also produced; with Delete individual PDFs after merging on, only the merged PDF is offered.
When the PDF cannot be created
If creating the PDF fails, our system retries automatically for several minutes. During that time the submission is saved but not yet on the Submissions page, and no notification has gone out.
If it still fails, our team is alerted. Every team member who can view the form’s submissions and has a verified email address gets the email “PlatoForms Alert: PDF Creation Failed” with the form name, tracking code, time and the reason. The submission then appears on the Submissions page with a PDF Creation Failure column giving the reason. Its PDF actions and Share … are hidden; Re-Submit Form, Revisions … and Delete remain.
To fix it, remove the cause, then use Re-Submit Form on the submission. That creates the PDF and clears the failure.
One known reason is a damaged uploaded PDF: “PDF template is damaged: its original form fields cannot be processed. The PDF needs to be re-exported from its source and re-uploaded.” Export the PDF again from the program that made it, and replace the form’s PDF by cloning the form with a new PDF.
For a master form, a linked PDF skipped by logic is not a failure.
For a web form, if its PDF cannot be produced in time for a notification email, the email is sent without it and the team owner gets the alert “Notification Email Sent Without Its PDF”. Download the PDF from the Submissions page and send it yourself.
Storage and retention
Completed PDFs do not count toward your plan’s storage. The PDFs of a submission, including those of earlier revisions, are deleted together with the submission, by Delete or by your data retention policy.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A submission is not on the Submissions page right after submitting | Wait and reload; look for a “PDF Creation Failed” email | Wait; if it failed, follow the reason in the email |
| PDF Creation Failure column | The reason shown | Re-export and replace the PDF if it is damaged, then Re-Submit Form |
| The thank-you page keeps saying the PDF is being created | Get the PDF later from the Submissions page or the notification email | |
| A field is missing from the PDF | Print in PDF, logic rules, whether the field is placed on the PDF | Turn printing on or adjust the rule |
| A linked PDF is missing from a master form submission | The linked PDF’s status; skip PDF print logic | Publish the linked PDF; adjust the rule |
| An old submission’s PDF still shows the old layout | Existing PDFs are not remade; make a new submission | |
| You want the completed PDF to stay fillable | Not supported. The blank original is under Manage Form > PDF naming > Open Template |