How to Make a PDF Fillable With Online Tools and Desktop Software

Imagine you get a PDF application form from a client who expects it back filled out and signed by the end of the day. It wouldn’t be a problem if the form fields were fillable. But they are locked behind Acrobat Pro, and adding those fields yourself means having to purchase it at $239.88 a year, for a form you may only build once.

In situations like this, you need to know how to make a PDF fillable to save time for you, your clients, your employees, and your partners. Luckily, there are several free and low-cost tools that will let you add interactive fields and fill out PDFs without touching Acrobat. In this guide, we’ll tell you about some of the most popular options to let you choose one that works for you.

What Makes a PDF Fillable and Why Does It Matter?

A fillable PDF is a PDF-format document that contains interactive form fields that you can fill in without having to edit the document. Unlike static PDFs, fillable documents don’t need to be printed to complete or sign them. All operations with interactive fields can be performed digitally, from a PDF reader. The most widespread field types include:

• Text boxes
• Checkboxes
• Dropdowns
• Signature fields

What’s the practical reason to create fillable PDF files? According to the 2026 data from Mobiqode, PDF is the primary document storage format for 82% of businesses. Common real-world use cases include:

• Client intake forms
• Purchase orders
• Event registration
• Employee onboarding packets, etc.

When these documents come as static PDFs, this can increase the probability of errors and the time needed for manual data entry. When your clients, employees, or partners can fill out PDF documents digitally, this can reduce manual work.

How to Create a Fillable PDF With Online Tools

If you’re wondering how to create a fillable PDF, the first option you have is to do it directly online using editing tools. There are two methods to try:

Method 1 – Fill and Edit PDFs in the Browser

You can use browser-based PDF editors to open static documents and add form fields to them. The process typically looks as follows:

1. Upload a static PDF file into the editor.
2. Select the form field tool.
3. Go through the form and add text boxes, checkboxes, dropdowns, and other field types where necessary.
4. Save changes and export a document with fillable fields.

If you have a form that you must fill out, you can use the same tools to edit the PDF directly in the browser. Some of the best tools to add fillable fields, edit, or fill a PDF online are PDF House, Sejda, and PDF24. PDF House also offers an extensive library of fillable templates, including tax forms, legal documents, contracts, and many other commonly used documents.

Method 2 – Build Forms From Scratch With Jotform

If you start with a blank page rather than a ready but static document, you can also consider building a fillable PDF form from scratch. To do this, you can use a tool like Jotform. It’s a drag-and-drop form builder with a free tier covering up to 5 forms and 100 submissions a month.

The tool works quite simply:

1. Create a user account.
2. Go to Jotform’s Fillable PDF Form Creator and choose whether you want to build a new form from scratch or transform an existing PDF form into one with fillable fields.
3. Look through the list of available form elements on the left side of the screen and drag the needed elements directly to your file.
4. Adjust settings to set up required and optional fields.
5. Share your form via email or link.

This method works best for recurring forms (e.g., feedback sheets, surveys, applications, etc.). Unlike standard online tools that let you create or edit PDF forms, Jotform has an auto-collection feature that pulls out the data from completed forms and organizes it in a separate spreadsheet, which reduces the amount of manual work.

How to Make a PDF Fillable Using Desktop Software

If you want advanced features or offline access, you can also make a PDF fillable using desktop software. There are two common options to try:

Using LibreOffice Draw

This option is best for people who want a full-control offline tool that doesn’t require a purchase or subscription. LibreOffice Draw is free and lets you add fillable fields to static PDFs in several quick steps:

1. Open the needed PDF file in LibreOffice Draw (click on File → Open and upload the document).
2. Go to the Form Controls toolbar and add text fields, checkboxes, and list boxes to your form.
3. Save changes and export your file: File → Export as PDF, then tick “Create PDF form” in the options window.

Note: Although this tool can work perfectly for simple daily tasks, it may lack functionality to handle complex PDFs with heavy formatting.

Using Microsoft Word + a PDF Tool

If you don’t mind paying for software (or already have Microsoft 365 purchased), you can also consider building your forms with MS Word and then adding fillable fields with a PDF tool. This is a common option with a familiar and intuitive interface.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Create a new file in Word.
2. Draft the text of your form. 
3. Save changes and export the file in PDF.
4. Upload your newly created PDF into a chosen PDF editor and add fillable form fields where necessary. Then, export.

What Types of Fields Can You Add to a Fillable PDF?

When you create fillable PDF files, you can include the following field types:

 

Field Type	Explanation	Use Cases
Text field	An empty field that implies an open-ended input.	Name Address Contact details Comments, etc.
Checkbox	A single on/off box. Use a group of them when the responder may select several options at once.	Skills Preferences Consent, etc.
Radio button	A field that allows a person to select only one option from a predefined set of answers.	Yes/no Gender Payment option, etc.
Dropdown menu	A field that implies selecting one item from a long list of options.	Country/state Department Job title, etc.
Date field	A text field with date formatting applied. Support varies by tool.	DOB Start date Deadline, etc.
Signature field	A special block designed for signing a document.	Contracts Approvals Agreements Consent forms

Choosing the right field types for your document upfront helps reduce confusion, form abandonment, and manual data cleanup later. Use the table above to understand which fields you will need to include, and pick a suitable tool based on this. Basic form fields, such as text fields, dropdowns, and radio buttons, are supported by most tools, including PDF24’s Form Editor and Sejda’s Forms. However, you may need to choose a paid tool or more advanced software for more complex form layouts with advanced fields.

Common Mistakes That Break Fillable PDFs

When you want to make a PDF fillable and convenient for people who will fill it out, the following mistakes can have a devastating effect:

• Flattening the file before sharing. Flattening a PDF means merging all separate layers into a single background layer. This process saves the content of your form but makes it non-interactive. That is, people who fill out the form will no longer be able to click on the form fields and type the needed data into them.
• Not setting tab order. Tab order is a customizable field navigation path that takes people who fill out the form from one field to another in the correct sequence. If you don’t set it, people will have to click on each field manually to complete it.
• Using many different font sizes and custom or unreadable fonts. Custom fonts that don’t embed properly render differently on the recipient’s device, so fields can look misaligned or unreadable.
• Skipping testing. PDF forms can render differently on different devices and in different PDF readers. Sometimes, interactive fields that work in Chrome’s built-in viewer may not work in Preview on Mac. So, when you skip the testing stage, you risk being left with a form that not all customers, employees, or partners can preview and fill out.
• Not setting up field validation. Field validation is a feature that analyzes field input in real time and ensures it meets the established requirements for a format, value, or other rules. When you don’t set it up, people who complete your form may leave required fields incomplete or insert wrong inputs into some fields (e.g., type letters in a phone number field).

Putting It Into Practice

Knowing how to make a PDF fillable can help when you need to prepare forms for customers, employees, and partners yourself, as well as when you need to fill in a static PDF file. As you now know, you don’t necessarily have to purchase expensive tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro to handle this task. The online tools and desktop software we told you about can all work well for different PDF tasks. Browser-based solutions are perfect for quick tasks. Jotform is a good option for building custom forms. And LibreOffice or MS Word are the top choices for handling forms offline.

Using the knowledge from this article, pick a solution that aligns with your needs. Consider the specific tasks you need to handle and their frequency.

Key Takeaways:

• Online PDF editors let you add interactive fields and fill out PDFs quickly, without having to install software.
• Form builders like Jotform are best for building custom forms and collecting responses from multiple people (with an option to quickly export answers in a spreadsheet.
• LibreOffice Draw and MS Word are solid desktop options that can handle simple PDFs, but can shift layouts in complex files due to format conversion.
• After building a PDF form, always test how it looks and how its fields work on different devices/PDF readers.
• Pick suitable field types in advance to prevent form abandonment and reduce errors.