Turn a Word form into a fillable PDF
Two steps: export the document as a PDF, then let the blanks become fields.
Almost every form starts life in Word, built out of underscores, tab stops and typed box characters. Word can export it as a PDF, but that PDF is flat: the underscores are still underscores and the boxes are still characters. This is the missing second step. It reads those underscores and box characters as what they were meant to be and turns them into real fields, so the finished PDF can be typed into and ticked.
How to turn a Word form into a fillable PDF
- 1
Export from Word as a PDF
Save as PDF, or print to PDF. If you do not have Word to hand, the Word to PDF tool on this site converts the file in your browser.
- 2
Drop the PDF in here
The underscore blanks, tab-stop lines, empty boxes and typed tick boxes are found and outlined.
- 3
Adjust and save
Set the multi-line boxes to paragraph fields, check the names, and download the fillable PDF.
Why the PDF is the right thing to send
A Word form sent out comes back with the questions edited, the layout broken and three different fonts. A fillable PDF comes back with the answers filled in and everything else exactly as you wrote it.
Do the first step here too
If Word is not available, convert the document in your browser first, then come back.
Frequently asked questions
Why not use the form fields in Word?+
You can, but they only survive if everyone opens the file in Word, and sending an editable Word document means anyone can change the questions. A PDF form is fixed, opens everywhere, and cannot be rewritten by accident.
Do the tab-stop lines work?+
Yes. A line made with a tab stop and an underline is a drawn rule on the page, which is measured and turned into a field just like a run of underscores.
What about the tick boxes I typed?+
The box character is recognised as a tick box and becomes a real checkbox.
Does my document get uploaded?+
No. Both the conversion and the field detection run in your browser.