How to fill in a PDF form without Adobe Acrobat

If the PDF is a fillable form, you can fill it in any browser without Adobe Acrobat. Open it in our Fill PDF Form tool, type into the boxes, tick the checkboxes, pick options from the dropdowns and download the filled copy. Nothing is uploaded, and there's no account to make.

The catch is the word "fillable". Plenty of PDFs that look like forms are just printed pages with lines on them, and a few use an older Adobe format that browsers can't fill at all. Working out which kind you have saves a lot of frustration, so start there.

Is your form fillable?

There are three kinds of PDF form, and each needs a different approach.

Our tool tells you straight away. If it finds no fields, the PDF is flat. If it detects XFA, it says so.

Filling a form step by step

1. Open the Fill PDF Form tool and add your PDF. One file, up to 100 MB.
2. The form's fields appear as inputs sitting exactly over the boxes on the page, including on rotated pages.
3. Type in the text boxes, tick checkboxes, choose radio buttons and pick dropdown or list options.
4. On a phone, switch to the list view. It shows every field as a simple labelled list, which is far easier than pinching and zooming around an A4 page.
5. Decide whether to flatten (more on that below).
6. Download filled-form.pdf, then open it in another app and check every answer is there.

That last step is worth doing every time. If an answer doesn't show in the copy you're about to send, you want to find out now, not after the deadline.

Things that won't work, and how to handle them

Automatic totals, date pickers and checks

Some forms are built with small scripts: a total that adds itself up, a calendar that pops up for dates, a warning if you leave a box empty. Those scripts don't run in our tool. Type totals and dates in yourself, in the format the form shows, and double-check any sums.

Answers in Hindi or another script

You can type in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and other scripts. The answer is saved in the form, and viewers that draw form fields themselves, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, show it. Some phone and preview apps may show those fields empty. Open the saved file in the app the recipient is likely to use. Forms with non-Latin answers can't be flattened here.

A form with no fields at all

Many forms from offices, schools and housing societies are just Word documents saved as PDF, or scans of a paper form. There's nothing to fill. You have two options:

• Use the text tool in Sign PDF to place lines of text wherever you need them, then add your signature in the same go.
• Print it, fill it by hand, and turn photos of the pages back into a PDF with Scan to PDF.

The form says "Please wait..."

That's an XFA form, an older Adobe format still used for some government and tax forms. Browsers and most PDF tools, ours included, can't fill it. Our explainer on why a PDF says "Please wait" explains what's going on and what to do.

Some forms carry both an ordinary set of fields and an XFA copy. Our tool fills the ordinary fields and removes the XFA copy, so the file opens the same way everywhere.

Save it, or flatten it?

When you download, you choose between two kinds of copy.

• Saved (not flattened): the answers sit in the form's fields, so you or anyone else can still change them. Good when you might need to correct something, or when the organisation will process the fields.
• Flattened: the answers become part of the page. They look the same but can't be edited as form fields any more. Good for a final copy you're emailing.

Flattening is a one-way step in that file, so keep an unflattened copy in case you need to change something later. And don't think of it as security: anyone can still copy the text, and someone with a PDF editor can still change the page. The Flatten PDF tool does the same thing for any PDF, and our guide to what flattening a PDF means goes deeper.

Adding a signature

Most forms end with a signature box. A form field isn't a signature, so do it in two steps:

1. Fill the form and download the filled copy.
2. Open that copy in Sign PDF, draw, type or upload your signature, place it on the line, and add the date.

That gives you an image of your signature on the page. It isn't a DSC or an Aadhaar eSign. If the form asks for either of those, or you're unsure whether a signed PDF is acceptable, ask whoever gave you the form. Our guide on signing a PDF without printing covers when it's typically accepted.

Before you send it

• Read the form's own instructions. Some want the PDF emailed, some want it printed and submitted in person, some want it uploaded to a portal. The form or the covering letter usually says.
• Check the file size if you're uploading. A filled form is rarely much bigger than the blank one, but if the portal has a limit, our guide on reducing PDF size for upload helps.
• Rename the file to something sensible, such as KYC_Form_YourName.pdf.
• Keep a copy of exactly what you sent.

Questions people ask

Can I fill a PDF form on my phone?

Yes. Open the tool in your phone's browser, add the form and use the list view to fill each field. Then check the saved file in your phone's PDF app, especially if you've typed in a language other than English.

Why can't I type in my PDF?

It most likely has no form fields: it's a flat PDF or a scan. Use the text tool in Sign PDF to type anywhere on the page.

Is my form uploaded anywhere?

No. The form is read and filled in your browser, and the file and your answers stay on your device.

Can I fill bank, KYC or government forms this way?

If the PDF has fillable fields, yes. Whether a filled PDF is accepted, and how to submit it, is up to the organisation, so follow the instructions that came with the form.

My saved answers disappeared. What happened?

Usually the app you opened it in doesn't draw form fields properly, which happens most with non-English answers in some phone and preview apps. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader to confirm the answers are there, or flatten a copy if all your answers are in English.

Sources

• Library of Congress: PDF 2.0 format description (XFA forms among features dropped or deprecated in PDF 2.0)
• Adobe Community: Forms on the Acrobat Reader mobile app