Quick answer
Click on an answer box first. If you can type in it, the form is fillable and any browser can fill it. If you cannot, use PDF Form Fill to type on top of the page. To fix an answer you already saved, or to change the form's printed text, use Edit PDF.
First: which kind of form do you have?
Open the PDF in Chrome, Edge, Safari or your PDF reader and click inside an answer box.
- A cursor appears in the box: it is a fillable form with built-in fields.
- Nothing happens, but you can select the printed words: it is a flat form, made as a document without fields.
- Nothing happens and you cannot select any words: it is a scanned form, which is a picture of paper.
Fillable forms
Click each box and type. Chrome, Edge and Safari can fill these fields and save the result, so you may not need anything else. Before you send it, reopen the saved file to check your answers are really there. Some older forms only keep the answers when they are saved with a "Save as" or "Download" button, not with the print option.
Flat and scanned forms
These have no fields, so ordinary PDF viewers will not let you type into them. PDF Form Fill works anyway: it places your text exactly where you click, on any page. It runs in your browser, so the form is not uploaded, which matters for tax, medical and HR forms.
Tips that save a second attempt:
- Set one text size for the whole form before you start.
- Write dates and numbers exactly in the format the form shows.
- For tick boxes, type a capital X and centre it in the box.
Fixing an answer you already saved
When a filled form is saved, the answers become part of the page. That is why you cannot just click and delete them later. You have two options:
- Start again from the blank form. Free and clean. This is why it pays to keep the original.
- Change the saved text with Edit PDF. Click the wrong answer, correct it and download. Useful when the blank form is gone or someone else filled it.
Changing the form itself
Sometimes the form is yours and the form needs to change: a new address in the header, an updated price, a fixed spelling in a question. Edit PDF lets you click the printed text and replace it, swap a logo and add highlights. One difference from Form Fill: Edit PDF uploads the form so our server can rewrite the text. The file is malware-scanned, processed in isolated memory and not kept. It is a Pro feature. For a one-off fix, the $2 pass (72 hours of Pro, no automatic renewal) on the pricing page is usually enough.
Only change forms that you own or are allowed to change. Altering an official form you received, such as a government or bank form, can make it invalid.
Before you send it
- Open the saved file once more and read every page.
- Sign it with PDF Sign if a signature is needed.
- If an upload portal rejects the size, shrink it with Compress PDF last.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a PDF form is fillable?
Open it in your browser or PDF reader and click on an answer box. If a typing cursor appears inside the box, or the boxes are highlighted, the form has fillable fields. If nothing happens, it is a flat form.
How do I fill a form that is not fillable?
Use PDF Form Fill. Click anywhere on the page, type your answer and drag it into place. It works on flat and scanned forms because it does not need form fields.
How do I change an answer I already saved?
If you kept the blank form, fill it again with the corrected answer. If you only have the saved copy, use Edit PDF to change the text, which is a Pro feature.
Can I change the questions or labels on a form?
Yes, with Edit PDF. Click the printed text and change it. Only do this on forms you own or are allowed to change.