Onboarding bottlenecks start when clients can’t tell which documents go where. I want a single fillable checklist clie…
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro on your computer.
Select the Tools tab.
Find and select Prepare Form under Forms.
Choose an existing file to use as your form, or select the option to create a new one.
Best practiceIf your form is not already a PDF, convert it to PDF before starting this process.
Click Start to let Acrobat detect form fields automatically, or manually add fields as needed.
Best practiceLetting Acrobat auto-detect fields can save time, but always review and adjust the detected fields for accuracy.
Use the toolbar to add, move, or delete form fields such as text boxes, checkboxes, and drop-down lists.
Double-click any form field to edit its properties, such as name, tooltip, and appearance.
When finished, use File > Save to save your fillable PDF form.
You can quickly test your form by switching to Preview mode in the Prepare Form tool to see how users will fill it out.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
Forms made directly in Microsoft Word using its form tools do not create accessible PDF fields when converted. This means they might not work well for everyone, especially those using assistive technologies. Acrobat's 'Prepare a form' tool is designed to create proper, accessible fillable PDF fields that work correctly with screen readers and allow for better user experience. Always use Acrobat for adding the actual fillable parts.
Enabling 'Reader Extended PDF' allows people who only have the free Adobe Reader software to save the information they type into your fillable form. Without this step, they can fill it out, but they cannot save their changes. This feature makes your form much more useful for a wider audience.
Yes, you can use 'Prepare a form' with a scanned document. Acrobat will try to auto-detect fields, but you will likely need to manually add text boxes, checkboxes, and other fields over the scanned image. It is often easier to start with a digital document like a Word file if possible, but a scanned image can still be made fillable.
A 'Tooltip' is a short description for a form field that appears when a user hovers their mouse over it. For fillable checklists, it's very important because screen readers use Tooltips to tell visually impaired users what each field is for. This makes your form accessible and clear for everyone.