How to Create a Basic Adobe Acrobat Form

Creating forms is often viewed as an intimidating or difficult task, especially for people who don’t work with documents or design tools on a regular basis. Once someone designs a form in Word, Excel, or any other design software, they sometimes desire to turn it into a digital form for online use. The challenge for most can be setting up interactive fields, such as text boxes, checkboxes, and drop-down menus, as this may feel daunting to those who have never done it.

Hand holding a pen filling out a physical form with multiple sections.

In this guide, we’ll go step by step through how to create a basic Adobe Acrobat form, perfect for contact forms, applications, waivers, or internal paperwork.

Before getting started, check that you have the following:

• Adobe Acrobat Pro (the free Reader will not work)

• A document to convert (Word, Excel, or an existing PDF)

• A clear idea of what information you want to collect

Step 1: Open your document in Adobe Acrobat

You can start from either:

• A Word, Excel, or image file, or

• An existing PDF

How to open it:

1. Launch Adobe Acrobat.

2. Click File > Open.

3. Select your document.

Acrobat will automatically convert non-PDF files into a PDF.

Step 2: Open the “Prepare Form” tool

1. In the top menu, click Tools.

2. Select Prepare Form.

3. Choose your open document and click Start.

Adobe Acrobat will scan your document and automatically detect where it thinks form fields should go. It may create fields that are not necessary, but you can correct that.

Step 3: Review and adjust auto-detected fields

Acrobat usually does a good job auto-detecting fields, but you should always double-check and remove any fields it created that you will not need before you continue.

Look for:

• Text fields for names, emails, or addresses

• Checkboxes for yes/no or multiple-choice options

• Dropdown menus for selections

To adjust:

• Click any field to resize or reposition it

• Press Delete to remove unwanted fields

Step 4: Add new form fields manually

If Acrobat did not create all the fields needed, you can add them easily from the right-hand toolbar. There are many ways you can require data to be entered as well as ways to allow the user to select options you supplied.

Common field types include:

• Text Field – Used for names, phone numbers, or any data the user needs to type.

• Check Box – These can be used for any statement you need a yes or no response to.

• Radio Button – Used for selecting one single option from a list of mutually exclusive choices.

• Dropdown – Allows users to select a single (or sometimes multiple) option from a predefined list, saving space, standardizing input, and making forms cleaner by hiding options until clicked.

• Signature Field – Used for digital signatures.

To add a field:

1. Select the field type.

2. Click where you want it placed on the page.

3. Resize as needed.

Step 5: Customize field properties

Each field can be customized to improve usability.

Right-click a field and choose Properties to:

• Rename the field (every unique field should have a unique name)

• Enter the tooltip information for the user

• Set required fields

• Limit character count

• Change font size, color, or alignment

• Change the field’s format to set data to be of a required type, such as dates, phone numbers, zip codes, time, or numbers only.

Tip: Always name your fields logically (e.g., First_Name, Email_Address).

Step 6: Test your form

Before sharing your form, test it.

1. Click Preview in the Prepare Form toolbar.

2. Fill out the form as your user would.

3. Check the tab order and field behavior.

4. Make adjustments to fields you find that are not behaving how you desire.

Step 7: Save and share your form

Once everything looks good:

1. Click File → Save As.

2. Name your file clearly (e.g., New-Client-Form.pdf).

You can now:

• Email the form

• Upload it to a website

• Share it via cloud storage

Users can enter the data and email it back, print it if needed, and easily edit the data they entered if they made mistakes.

Creating a basic Adobe Acrobat form is a valuable skill that can save time, reduce paperwork, and make data collection more efficient. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can explore advanced features like calculations, validation scripts, and automated submissions.

Have questions or want help with more complicated forms or other graphic design needs? Contact Splash Box Marketing at info@splashbox.com to get started.