Make a PDF fillable

Make an existing PDF fillable by adding the fields it is missing. This is ideal for company forms, applications, and agreements that were designed to be printed. Add the fields once and reuse the fillable version every time.

How to make a pdf fillable

1. 1Open your existing PDF.
2. 2Place text, checkbox, date, and signature fields where people need to write.
3. 3Label the fields so the form is clear.
4. 4Save the fillable PDF and reuse it whenever you need it.

When to use this tool

• You have a scanned or printed form, like a company policy or application, with no interactive fields.
• You want people to stop printing, handwriting, and scanning a form you reuse often.
• A vendor or agency sent you a flat PDF that would be faster to complete on screen.
• You're building a template you can fill and refill many times instead of starting over.
• You inherited a form from a previous employee or vendor and it was never made interactive.
• A supplier or partner keeps asking you to fax or mail a form instead of emailing it back.

Tips for a better result

• Match each field to the exact spot printed on the page so it doesn't shift the layout.
• Add clear field labels for anything that isn't obvious from the printed text nearby.
• Group similar fields, like all checkboxes or all dates, so the form is easy to tab through.
• Save the fillable version somewhere you'll find it again, since you can reuse it for future copies.
• Number or label your fields consistently if you plan to reuse the same layout for similar forms.

Privacy: what happens to your file

This runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript, which adds the fields you draw directly onto the page. Your file is never uploaded to a server, and nothing is stored once you close the tab.

Make a PDF fillable is one of 34 free create-category tools on fillable.ca. It pairs well with create a fillable pdf, fill a pdf and convert pdf to fillable form for a complete document workflow — see the full tools listfor everything else that’s free to use.