How to create an interactive PDF form

▶ 1. Where to start

A form is built on top of a document: you can use one you already have or create a new one. 123 PDF Editor PRO is a Chrome extension, so there is no desktop software to install and the procedure is identical on Windows, Mac and Linux.

• ✓ From an existing document — open the PDF with Choose a PDF and add the fields over the printed form.
• ✓ From scratch — choose Create a new PDF and start from a Blank page or a template, as explained in the guide on how to create a PDF.

▤ 2. Adding the fields

All fields are created from a single tool: choose the type, draw the rectangle on the page and set the properties.

1. Open the Create form tool.
2. Select the field type from the list.
3. Drag a rectangle on the page, where the field should appear.
4. Fill in the field name and the other properties in the panel.
5. Repeat for every piece of information you want to collect.

▦ 3. The field types available

Choosing the right type makes the difference between a form filled in within a minute and one that generates errors.

• ✓ Text field — a single line: name, email, phone number.
• ✓ Multiline text — for notes, descriptions and longer messages.
• ✓ Checkbox — independent choices, where several options can coexist.
• ✓ Radio button — alternative choices, where only one can be selected.
• ✓ Dropdown — many options in little space.
• ✓ List box — a visible list, useful when the entries need comparing.
• ✓ Button — collects no data but performs an action (see point 5).

◆ 4. Field properties

Every field can be customised in look and behaviour, so the form guides whoever fills it in instead of leaving them guessing.

1. Field name — the technical identifier of the data.
2. Default value — the content already present when the form opens, useful for the most common answers.
3. Border colour and background colour — to make the fillable areas stand out against the document.
4. Required — makes the field mandatory.
5. Read only — locks the field: perfect for pre-filled data that must not be changed, such as a reference number.

▧ 5. Buttons and actions

Buttons make a form genuinely interactive: they can lead elsewhere in the document, open a web page or handle the data entered.

1. Create a field of type Button and position it on the page.
2. Set the button action by choosing from the available options.
3. Submit form to URL — sends the completed data to an address you specify.
4. Reset form — empties every field and returns the form to its initial state.
5. A button can also open an external link or jump to a specific page of the document.

✓ 6. Testing the form before distributing it

It is always worth filling in your own form from start to finish: setup mistakes show up immediately.

1. Switch to Fill form and try entering data in every field.
2. Check that the order in which you move between fields makes sense and that the boxes are wide enough for the content expected.
3. Make sure the Required fields really are the indispensable ones and that the Read only ones are locked.
4. Download the PDF and reopen it with a different reader for one last check.

⤓ 7. Distributing the form

The downloaded file is a standard PDF with interactive fields: whoever receives it fills it in with their own reader, without needing your extension.

1. Click Download PDF to get the finished form.
2. If it collects personal data, consider Password protection and define in Allowed actions what may be done with it.
3. If the file is heavy, make it lighter following the guide on how to compress a PDF — remembering to preserve the form fields.
4. Want to explain to recipients how to fill it in? Point them to the guide on how to fill in a PDF form.

? 8. Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often on this topic.