How to Fill Out a PDF Form for Free (on a Computer or Phone)

A form arrives as a PDF: an application, a registration, a claim, a school form. You don't need to print it, fill it in by hand and scan it back. You can type your answers straight into the PDF, for free, in your browser.

Step 1: See what kind of form it is

Open the PDF and click inside one of the boxes.

  • If you can type in it, or it ticks, it's a fillable form. The boxes are real form fields.
  • If nothing happens, it's a flat form: the boxes are just printed lines. Scanned forms are always flat.

Both kinds can be filled in for free. Some forms are a mix of the two.

How to fill out a fillable PDF form

  1. Open the form in a free tool to fill out a PDF form online.
  2. Click a box and type. Tick checkboxes, pick radio buttons and choose from dropdown lists the same way.
  3. Press Download edited PDF.

Your answers are saved into the form's own fields, so the file is still a proper form that opens in any PDF reader. That's useful when the person receiving it copies your answers out automatically.

How to fill out a flat PDF form

  1. Open the form and press Add text.
  2. Click where the answer should start, at the beginning of the line, and type.
  3. Choose a font and a size that match the printed form. Drag the text to line it up, or pull its corner to make the box wider.
  4. For tick boxes, press ✓ (or ✗) and click on the box. For the date, press Date.
  5. Press Download edited PDF.

Tip: zoom in before placing text in small boxes. Press + on a computer, or spread two fingers on a phone.

Signing the form

If the form needs a signature, press Add signature. You can draw it with your finger or mouse, type your name in a handwriting style, or use a photo of your signature. Drag it onto the signature line and resize it from the corner.

This puts a picture of your signature on the page, like signing a printout. If the form says it has to be signed through a particular e-signature service, use that service instead.

Filling out a PDF form on your phone

  1. Open the PDF in Safari or Chrome.
  2. Tap a box and type. If the form is flat, tap Text in the tools at the bottom of the screen, then tap the line.
  3. Tap Download and attach the filled-in form to your email or upload it.

Before you send it

  • Check every answer before you download. On a flat form, the text you add is drawn onto the page. It looks and prints like normal text, but you can't edit it later; to change an answer, you'd start again from the original form.
  • Open the downloaded file once. It has "-edited" added to its name. Scroll through it in your usual PDF reader before you send it.

If the form won't fill

Some official forms are built with Adobe's XFA technology. Those can only be filled in using Adobe Acrobat or Reader. If a form opens with a message telling you to use Adobe Reader, or shows no boxes at all, that's usually why.

Is it free and safe?

Yes. There's no account and no watermark. The form is opened and saved inside your browser and isn't uploaded to a server, which matters when it holds your address, date of birth or bank details. Answers in Persian and Arabic work too.

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