How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Using 3 Ways: Easy & Fast

Introduction:

Imagine you are creating job applications or school forms. You need to make them into fillable PDFs to send out so that others can input and fill the text in. Adding fillable fields to a PDF can be hard unless you know the right tools. There are free and licensed software applications that claim to do that. You can also find online services to use. This SwifDoo PDF article highlights the top three options to demonstrate how to add a fillable text box in a PDF easily.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Using LibreOffice Draw

If you’d like an open-source PDF app or a free version that lets you add fillable fields to a PDF, LibreOffice Draw is the way. Among the best open-source PDF editors, it enables you to add, copy, and highlight text, as well as draw shapes. You can access its form controls to insert checkboxes, radio buttons, drop-down lists, and other form fields.

Here's how to add a fillable text box in a PDF for free using the LibreOffice Draw program.

Step 1: Open your PDF in the software application after installing the correct version;

Step 2: Navigate to the top View tab to choose Toolbars > Form Controls;

Step 3: Select the text box control and click to draw a rectangle to add a fillable field in the PDF;

Step 4: Click the control again to add more fillable text boxes to the PDF or insert other form fields if needed;

Step 5: Go to File > Export As > Export as PDF, check the Create PDF form option, and click Export;

Step 6: Specify an output location, save the fillable PDF, which you can open in PDF reader software, and fill out the form info in the text box.

How to Add Fillable Fields in PDF Using Adobe Acrobat Pro

You can purchase the Adobe Acrobat Pro on your PC or MAC to add a fillable text box in a PDF. In case your PDF is not fill-ready, it can automatically detect and recognize blank spaces to add fillable fields. The auto-scan and form-creating feature saves time when you make a large number of editable text boxes. You can also manually add new form fields in a PDF. Its annotation tools also let you add normal text boxes to a PDF to type text in.

Explore how to make and add a fillable text box in a PDF with Adobe Acrobat.

Step 1: Use Acrobat Pro to open the PDF you wish to add a fillable text box in;

Step 2: Choose Prepare Form from the Tools pane, and click Start to detect and auto-add form fields in the PDF;

Step 3: If no fields are detected, click the Add a Text field option to insert a fillable text box in the PDF;

Step 4: Adjust the textbox size, position, or other properties, and continue to select the tool to add more fields;

Step 5: Finally, choose File > Save As to make a PDF with editable text boxes.

If you prefer not to scan the entire PDF file and spend time reviewing the fillable fields, go to Preferences > Forms to uncheck the 'Auto-detect' option.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in Adobe PDF Using Sejda

The online Sejda comes in handy when you hate to pay a single cent or sign up for an account. It’s designed to be a quick and free method for adding a fillable text box in a PDF. It also enables you to add signature boxes, labels, multi-choice boxes, and other filling fields. The web application helps with page deleting and document protection. It is also a PDF form filler that allows users to enter text, ticks, and do more.  

Regarding how to add a fillable text box to a PDF online for free:

Step 1: Choose Create Forms on the website, and upload the PDF you need to add an editable field to (under the size and page limit);

Step 2: Click the Text Field button and hit where you plan to create a fillable text box;

Step 3: Set the box border color, font size, text color, or other field properties, and choose Duplicate field in the mini toolbar;

Step 4: Paste the copied box and repeat the copy-and-paste to add fill-in boxes in the PDF to all the places to type text in.

Please note that Sejda doesn’t support XFA elements or forms.

Bonus: How to Add Text Boxes to PDF to Instantly Type Text

Adding fillable text box form fields to a PDF will facilitate the data filling in the document. If it's you who needs to submit a form, a simpler workaround is to add text to the PDF directly. When you are struggling to fill out a PDF form that doesn’t have fields prepared to accept text, textbox annotations are the hack. SwifDoo PDF is a one-stop solution for addressing PDF editing, annotation, translation, conversion, and more manipulations on Windows or macOS.

• It lets you add an editable text box to a PDF that needs to be filled in by yourself.
• You can type text on your PDF without adding a text box.
• It allows you to add cross marks, radio dots, and check marks to fill a PDF.
• The software supports signing your PDF file with electronic and digital signatures, as well as handwritten or image signatures.
• Whiteout, add sticky notes and stamp your PDF before or after you add an editable and fillable text box in a PDF.

Conclusion

Are you trying to make your document interactive, allowing receivers to type into the specified parts without printing? Whenever you need to collect answers, addresses, names, emails, etc., you often need to add a text box to a PDF so others can fill it in. You can keep all the details from numerous people in a neat format.

This post has guided you on how to make and add fillable text boxes in a PDF using offline and online PDF editing software. Decide what fits you best according to the descriptions, or try them yourself.