How do I make a fillable Investigator Form in Adobe Acrobat?

Open Acrobat and select 'All tools'. Choose 'Prepare a form' and pick your document. Acrobat will try to find fields automatically. Add or change fields like text boxes, checkboxes, and dropdowns. Remember to save your form after adding all fields.

Build Investigator Form in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Create a fillable evidence submission form for field investigators that captures claimant name,…+

Create a fillable evidence submission form for field investigators that captures claimant name, date of loss, document list, chain-of-custody, and uploader signature, then save the form to our templates library for field use.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Before I publish the field evidence form to the templates library, improve it for frontline…+

Before I publish the field evidence form to the templates library, improve it for frontline use: make required fields obvious, add dropdowns for common document types, include a short instruction line for chain-of-custody, and add a final checkbox for supervisor intake so submissions are consistent and reviewable.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro on your computer.
2
Select the Tools tab.
3
Find and select Prepare Form under Forms.
4
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.
5
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.
6
Use the toolbar to add, move, or delete form fields such as text boxes, checkboxes, and drop-down lists.
7
Double-click any form field to edit its properties, such as name, tooltip, and appearance.
8
When finished, use File > Save to save your fillable PDF form.

In the appWith the API

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.

Glossary

words on this page

Accessible PDFA PDF that people with disabilities can use, often with tools like screen readers.ExampleAn Accessible PDF allows a visually impaired user to have its content read aloud by a screen reader.

TooltipA small message that appears when you point to something, helping people understand what a form field is for.ExampleHovering over the 'Submit' button reveals a tooltip saying 'Click to send your completed form'.

Who does this

3 roles

Administrative AssistantHR CoordinatorOffice Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open Acrobat and select 'All tools'.
Choose 'Prepare a form' and pick your document.
Acrobat will try to find fields automatically.
Add or change fields like text boxes, checkboxes, and dropdowns.
Remember to save your form after adding all fields.

Making PDF forms accessible means everyone, including people with disabilities, can use them. For example, a screen reader can read out the form fields and labels if they are set up correctly. This ensures that all users can understand and fill out the form, making your document usable by a wider audience and often meeting legal requirements.

If your Word document already has forms made with Word's tools, you should avoid using them. These tools do not transfer well to accessible PDF fields in Acrobat. Instead, start with a well-structured Word document that does NOT use Word's form tools. Then, add all your form fields directly in Acrobat using the 'Prepare a form' tool.

Saving a document as a PDF just creates a static image of your file, which you cannot type into. 'Prepare a form' is different because it actively adds interactive fields to your PDF. These fields allow users to type text, select options, and interact with the document. This turns a simple document into a functional, fillable form, ready for data collection.

You need to enable 'Reader Extended PDF' so that people who use the free Adobe Reader program can save the information they type into your form. Without this step, they can fill out the form, but they cannot save their changes. This feature makes your form much more useful and convenient for anyone using Adobe Reader.

Build Investigator Form

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Video

Other guides