# Create Fillable PDF Form - Add Text Fields & Checkboxes

> Make any PDF fillable: draw text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, date and signature fields; set names, required flags and tab order. Free, local.

- URL: https://qilingtools.com/en/pdf/create-form
- Category: PDF Tools (https://qilingtools.com/en/pdf)
- Tags: [PDF](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/pdf), [Documents](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/document), [Productivity](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/office)
- Last updated: 2026-10-26
- Price: Free, no sign-up
- Privacy: Runs locally in the browser; files are never uploaded

Application forms, registration sheets and contracts often arrive as flat PDFs that people have to print and fill in by hand. This tool turns them into forms that can be filled in on screen. Upload a PDF, pick a field type and drag on the page to place it: single-line or multi-line text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons (buttons with the same name form a group), dropdowns, list boxes, date fields (validated in formats such as yyyy-mm-dd in Acrobat) and signature areas (a standard unsigned signature field or a text field labelled “Signature”). Each field has a name, tooltip, required and read-only flags, font size (or auto-size), maximum length, default value and options. The tab-order list lets you move fields up and down or sort them by position, top to bottom and left to right, so Tab jumps through them in a sensible order. Rotated pages are handled too, with the text in each field running the same way as the page. After saving, the file is read back to verify every field. The result is a standard AcroForm that Adobe Acrobat, macOS Preview, Chrome, Edge and other readers can fill in. Because the standard fonts only cover Latin characters, default values and dropdown options should use Latin text; people filling in the form can still type any language. Everything runs in your browser and the file is never uploaded.

## How to use

1. Upload the PDF you want to turn into a form and switch pages with the thumbnail strip
2. Pick a field type such as text, checkbox, radio, dropdown, date or signature, drag it onto the page and set its name, required flag, default value and other properties
3. Check the tab order, then click Create form & download to get the fillable PDF

## Features

- Single and multi-line text fields, checkboxes, radio groups, dropdowns, list boxes
- Date fields with Acrobat date validation, and signature fields
- Name, tooltip, required, read-only, font size, max length, default value
- Drag to move, drag the corner to resize, undo and delete
- Adjustable tab order or automatic sort by position
- Correct placement on rotated pages
- Fields are read back and verified after saving
- Standard AcroForm, processed locally

## FAQ

### Which apps can fill in the form?

It is a standard AcroForm, so Adobe Acrobat and Reader, macOS Preview, the PDF viewers built into Chrome and Edge, and most other readers can fill it in and save it. Date validation and click-to-sign signature fields rely on Acrobat; in other readers a date field behaves like a normal text field.

### Why can’t default values contain Chinese or other non-Latin text?

Field appearances are generated with the built-in Helvetica font, which only covers Latin characters, so a non-Latin default value could not be displayed. Field names and tooltips can be in any language, and people filling in the form can type any language because the reader switches to a system font.

### What is the difference between a signature field and a signature text field?

A signature field is the PDF standard digital signature field (left unsigned); in Acrobat you click it to sign with a certificate or a drawn signature. A signature text field is simply a text field labelled “Signature”, useful when a typed name is enough, and it works in every reader.

### Will my existing content or form fields change?

No. The page content stays as it is and the new fields are added on top; any form fields already in the PDF are kept (new field names must not repeat them). Everything happens locally in your browser, with no upload.

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