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  • Form Builder

    Creating an Online Form for an Existing PDF

  • Custom Domain

    With Builder you can build three types of forms: online web forms, online PDF forms, and master forms.

  • Master Form Builder

    you will arrive at the Form Builder. On the form Builder, there are three main sections:

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Manage Master Form

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Discover how the master form feature in PlatoForms simplifies the process of reusing fields across multiple PDFs.

What’s master form?

Master form allows you to achieve efficient reuse of fields, such as File Upload, in multiple PDFs.

The steps are straightforward:

  • Create the master form, add fields, and customize their properties.
  • Link the desired PDF to the master form, and easily incorporate the fields onto the PDF.

Once the integration is complete, you can publish the PDF with the added fields, creating a cohesive and customized PDF form that captures user inputs effortlessly.

By utilizing the Master Form feature, you can streamline your form creation process, save time on repetitive tasks, and achieve consistency in your PDF forms.

Note

  • Begin with a master form not linked to a PDF. After editing, upload PDFs to create linked PDF forms. Use the link form editor to connect a master form widget to a PDF.
  • Make as many linked forms as you need. When forms are submitted, linked forms create PDFs using chosen mapping.

Create a master form

To create a master form in PlatoForms for multiple PDFs, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your PlatoForms account.

  2. On the Dashboard, in the bottom left corner, click Start to build.

Start to Build

  1. In the pop-up window, select Create Master Form for Multiple PDFs.

Create Master Form

Once you’ve selected this option, you will be directed to the editor page of the master form. The editor page is divided into three sections:

  • The toolbar: Located on the top left, it provides buttons for adding fields, previewing the form, and publishing the form.

  • Left panel: Displays in order all the widgets for the fields of the master form.

  • Right panel: Shows the attributes of a specific field selected from the left panel.

Edit the master form

To edit your master form for later reuse, follow these steps:

Add fields

  1. On the editor page of the master form, locate the toolbar on the top left.

  2. To add fields, click the + Add button.

  3. Choose from the two categories of fields based on your needs:

  • Form & PDF: The changes you make will be applied to both the online web form and the associated PDF version of the form. Edits are synchronized between both versions.

  • Form Only: The changes will only affect the online web form and will not have any impact on the PDF version of the form. Edits are specific to the online web form and do not affect the PDF version.

For more details on each field, refer to the table below.

Compability Field Description
Form & PDF Text Input Used for entering text or alphanumeric data, such as names, addresses, contact details, or any other free-form text input.
Choice Presents a set of options for respondents to select a single or multiple answers. Commonly used for single or multiple-choice questions with predefined choices.
Dropdown Displays a list of options in a compact format. Respondents can select one or multiple options from the list. Ideal when space needs to be conserved while providing multiple choices.
Signature Enables respondents to provide an electronic signature for verification or consent. Often used for legal or authorization purposes, allowing respondents to sign their name using a mouse or touchscreen device.
Photo Allows respondents to upload images. Commonly used for visual documentation or identification purposes, such as ID cards, profile pictures, or image-based submissions.
Form Only Break Creates a visual separation or line break within the form, aiding in organizing and structuring the form by dividing it into sections or subsections.
Description Offers additional explanatory or instructional text to guide respondents in filling out the form. It provides context, clarifies instructions, and offers further details about specific questions or sections.
reCaptcha Requires the respondents to perform an action to prove they are human.
File Upload Allows respondents to attach files or documents along with their form submission. It supports uploading images, documents, or any other relevant files required by the form.

Edit field attributes

After adding a field to your master form, you’ll see its widget at the bottom of the left panel with a blue border. The right panel will display the field’s attribute.

  • To view the attributes for each field, simply click on its corresponding widget in the left panel.

  • To edit a field’s attributes, click on the field widget in the left panel, and make changes in its attribute panel on the right.

  • To rearrange the field order, drag and drop the widget in the left panel to adjust their position.

Preview master form

Before linking the master PDF to your PDF, it’s a good idea to preview your master form. To do that, click the Preview Form button located in the top toolbar.

Preview Master Form

Note

To ensure an accurate preview, it is recommended to add sample data to your PDF before previewing. This allows the PDF to be rendered with realistic data for a more representative preview. For more details, refer to the Add and preview sample data section.

  1. Go to the Dashboard.

  2. Find the desired master form, and click Link > Link New PD to upload the PDF.

Link PDFs

After you uploaded the PDF, you will open the editor page of the PDF form. Here, you can make edits to the fields and their attributes.

Reuse fields

To reuse the fields in the master form:

  1. In the left panel, hover over to the widget of the field you want to reuse.

  2. Click Add to PDF.

Add to PDF

The field will appear at the top of the right panel.

  1. Drag and drop the field in the right panel to an ideal position.
Note

  • You can add Text, Choice, Dropdown, and Signature widgets to a PDF form.
  • Widgets can be added multiple times to a PDF. For example, if your PDF needs a personal signature on every page, add the same signature widget to each page. When the final PDF is generated, it will include the signature on every page.

Publish master form

After you’ve finished editing your PDF that reusing the elements from the master form, click the Publish button located in the top toolbar. Once published, you’ll receive a Public URL or Embed Script for sharing with others:

  • Public URL: A direct link to your published PDF form. You can simply share this link with others, and they can access and fill out the form using their web browser.

  • Embed Script: A snippet of code that you can embed on your website or web application. When you add the Embed Script to your web page, it will display your PDF form directly on that page, allowing users to fill it out without leaving your website.

No matter how many PDFs you link to the master form, the sharing URL remains singular.

Manage submission

Managing master form submissions in PlatoForms follows the same process as with other forms. You will receive email and system notifications, and you can view the submissions on the Submissions page. The only difference is that the submitted file is not a single PDF; instead, it is a zip package containing all the linked PDFs.

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