How to Design Online Fillable PDF Form a Complete Free Guide 2023

Well, most people automate their business through online fillable PDF forms to automate their Business. which is a free solution these kinds of fillable forms can be designed using Adobe Acrobat DC if you want to learn how the design fillable Forms then you can read my blog post ” Create Fillable PDF Forms Quickly and Easily – Step-by-Step Guide ” But Here my main focus will be that how can we design an online fillable PDF Form that Can be shared via a link and it should look exactly the same as it in the PDF. Well, Fillable PDF isn’t online it is usually offline we mostly share it via email or attachment to clients, which is time-consuming and will not be working on a large scale, at certain conditions this offline fillable Form can be helpful but that is not an automated solution.

As a freelancer, I did work with many platforms for designing fillable PDFs, both Online and offline Forms. Before I come to the answer it is important to understand what are the major problems with the offline line fillable Form that we design using Adobe Acrobat.

Problem with Fillable Form Using Adobe Adobe Acrobat

  1. The Fillable PDF Form Designed Via Adobe Acrobat are not compatible with mobile phone, especially the functionality of digital signature will not be working in mobile phone. So if you send a form to any client that has a digital signature in it then your client may need 3rd party software to sign the PDF. That means Adobe Acrobat offline fillable PDF form Doesn’t provide a service to sign a document using a Mobile Phone.
  2. Another problem is that you need to send it as an attachment to the client to fill up the form and send you back, so every time you will send a blank form to the client and wait for their responses back. This waste a lot of time, now it is an era of technology the fillable form should be ended via a link.
  3. The offline form is less interactive than the online form, if you generating leads the offline form isn’t a good solution for you.

Online Fillable PDF Form Designing & Development

Designing an engaging and interactive online fillable form is something that requires hand on skills to correct software that does provide services to design an online fillable PDF form. Here I will provide a list of multiple software and we will come to concussion after explaining each pros and cons so that you get the best recommendation from my side.

Before that if you need a specialist that can handle your design and Development of an online fillable form then you can also Hire me, I am always available at a low cost, so you can put your work pressure on my shoulders, just inbox me on WhatsApp or you follow Upwork link to my profile.

HIRE ME AN ONLINE FILLABLE PDF SPECIALIST

So let’s come back if you need free guidance and you think you are super talented or you are out of budget then my suggestion is for free and I will tell you websites / Tools that provide online fillable PDF design & Development. Here is the list of websites or just two websites that I mostly used for online fillable PDF development.

  1. Jotform
  2. PDF Filler
Online Fillable PDF Form A COMPLETE FREE GUIDE TO MAKE IT

I am not going to explain the list of website, I just extract the best solution to design online fillable form and I will also show you with screenshot that what these form looks like so that you better decide which one you want to go with, but definitely explain both of them and discuss pros and cons of both websites.

1. Jotform Automates your Business with Online Forms

In today’s digital age, collecting data and managing it efficiently is crucial for businesses and individuals alike. Whether it is lead generation, event registration, or customer feedback, having a hassle-free way to create and manage online forms can greatly improve your productivity. JotForm is a popular online form builder that offers a wide range of features and tools to simplify the form creation process.

JotForm is a user-friendly platform that allows you to design, publish, and collect data through online forms without any coding knowledge. Its drag-and-drop editor enables you to create personalized and professional-looking forms with ease. Whether you need a simple contact form or a complex order form, JotForm offers a variety of form templates that can be customized to suit your needs. With its intuitive interface, you can add and arrange form fields, change fonts and colors, and include your company logo to create a form that aligns with your brand identity.

One of the unique features of JotForm is its extensive integration capabilities. It seamlessly integrates with over 100 popular applications, including Dropbox, Google Drive, and Salesforce. This means that you can automatically sync form submissions with your preferred productivity tools, eliminating the need for manual data entry. For instance, if you use JotForm to collect customer inquiries, you can integrate it with your CRM system to ensure that all the information is stored in one central location.

In addition to its integration options, JotForm offers various data collection methods to suit different scenarios. You can embed the form on your website, share it via email or social media, or even create a QR code for offline promotion. This flexibility allows you to reach your target audience and collect responses conveniently. Furthermore, JotForm provides mobile-responsive forms, so you can ensure that your users have a seamless experience on any device.

Once the forms are published and responses start flowing in, JotForm offers a range of data management tools. The submissions dashboard provides an overview of all collected data, making it easy to track and monitor responses. You can filter, sort, and search through submissions to identify patterns or trends, enabling you to make data-driven decisions. Additionally, JotForm allows you to create reports and charts based on the collected data, providing visual insights that are easy to understand and share.

Data protection and privacy are important considerations when collecting information online. JotForm takes these concerns seriously by offering various security measures. It uses SSL encryption to protect data during transmission and stores your submissions securely on its servers. JotForm is GDPR compliant and provides options for data erasure and export, ensuring that your data handling practices align with regulatory requirements.

JotForm also recognizes the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Its multi-user functionality allows you to invite team members to work on forms collaboratively. You can assign different roles and permissions to team members, ensuring that the right people have access to the relevant forms and submissions. This feature is particularly useful for businesses with multiple departments or teams that need to work together on form creation and analysis.

In summary, JotForm is a powerful and user-friendly online form builder that simplifies the process of creating, managing, and analyzing data through online forms. Its drag-and-drop editor, extensive integration options, and data management tools make it an ideal choice for businesses and individuals looking to streamline their workflows and improve data collection processes. With JotForm, you can create customized forms, integrate them with your preferred applications, and analyze data effortlessly. So, why not give JotForm a try and see how it can simplify your forms and streamline your workflows?

How to Build Online Fillable PDF Form With Jotform?

There are basically two available solutions in Jotform to design an Online Fillable PDF form for your business.

  1. Jotform with integrated PDF at the Back end
  2. E-sign Jotform

Jotform with integrated PDF at the Back End

Jotform is a popular online form builder that allows users to easily create and customize forms. One of the features that Jotform offers is the ability to integrate a PDF document at the back end of the form. This feature allows users to generate a PDF document based on the form’s submission data. In this guide, we will walk through the steps of setting up this integration.

Step 1: Create a Form
To start, log in to your Jotform account and go to the Form Builder. Create a new form or select an existing form that you would like to integrate with a PDF.

Step 2: Add Form Fields
Add the necessary form fields to your form. These can include text fields, dropdown menus, checkboxes, etc. Make sure to include all the information that you would like to include in the generated PDF document.

Step 3: Create a PDF Template
Next, create a PDF template that will be used to generate the PDF document. You can use any PDF editor, such as Adobe Acrobat or an online PDF editor, to create this template. Design the layout and include the necessary placeholders for the form data.

Step 4: Upload the PDF Template to Jotform
Once you have created the PDF template, save it and upload it to Jotform. In the form builder, go to the “Settings” tab and click on “PDF Editor”. Then, click on the “Edit PDF” button and upload the PDF template.

Step 5: Map Form Fields to PDF Template
After uploading the PDF template, you will need to map the form fields to the corresponding placeholders in the PDF template. This step tells Jotform which form fields to populate in the generated PDF. To do this, click on the “Map Fields” button in the PDF Editor and select the appropriate form fields for each placeholder.

Step 6: Save Changes and Test
Once you have mapped the form fields, save the changes and exit the PDF Editor. Test your form by submitting a sample entry and check if the PDF is generated correctly. The PDF will be attached to the confirmation email that is sent after the form submission.

Step 7: Customize Email Settings
If needed, customize the email settings of your form to include the PDF as an attachment. You can do this by going to the “Settings” tab and clicking on “Emails”. Edit the email template and add the PDF attachment option.

And that’s it! You have successfully integrated a PDF at the back end of your Jotform form. Now, whenever a user submits the form, a PDF document will be generated based on the form submission data.

E-sign Jotform

This looks exactly the same as a PDF but it is basically online and has loss functionality.

E-sign Jotform is a feature that allows users to add electronic signatures to their forms. This feature is useful for collecting legally binding signatures on contracts, agreements, waivers, and other types of documents. In this guide, we will walk through the steps of setting up e-signatures in Jotform.

Step 1: Create a Form
To start, log in to your Jotform account and go to the Form Builder. Create a new form or select an existing form that you would like to add e-signatures to.

Step 2: Add the E-Signature Widget
In the Form Builder, click on the “Widgets” tab on the left sidebar. Then, search for the “E-Signature” widget and click on it to add it to your form.

Step 3: Customize the E-Signature Widget
After adding the E-Signature widget, you can customize its settings. Click on the widget to open the settings panel on the right sidebar. Here, you can adjust the height and width of the signature box, enable or disable options like clearing the signature or requiring a signature, and choose whether to show a label or placeholder text.

Step 4: Save Changes and Test
Once you have customized the E-Signature widget settings, save your form and test it to make sure the e-signature functionality works as expected. Submit the form and verify that the signature is captured correctly.

Step 5: Manage Submissions with E-Signatures
When you receive submissions with e-signatures, they will be included in the submission data. You can view and manage these submissions in your Jotform account by going to the “Submissions” tab. The e-signature will be displayed as an image in the submission view.

Step 6: Export or Integrate E-Signed Documents
If you need to export or integrate the e-signed documents, Jotform offers various options. You can download individual submissions as PDF documents with the e-signatures included. You can also integrate Jotform with other applications, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, to automatically store and manage the e-signed documents.

And that’s it! You have successfully set up e-signatures in your Jotform form. Now, your users can electronically sign the form, and you can collect and manage the e-signed documents easily.

Pros and Cons of Jotform and Esign Jotform

Esign Jotform Pros

Easy to be fields and user can look you professional looking branded fillable PDF, we make online fillable PDF online fillable PDF. So the form is almost identical to what I designed as a PDF. You will also download all the data as a Google sheet. Signature with popup

User-friendly Signature Fields

Cons of Esign Jotform
Less integration
You won’t receive the email as an attachment of a filled form to get it, you must go to the user website.
Difficult to integrate on the website.

Jotform Pros

Easy to integrate into the website, and easy to manage, you will receive notification when someone fills the form. Also Easy to manage and share data in google forms and many more integrations. Signature with popup
User-friendly Signature Fields

Cons of Jotform
Appearance can’t be the same as a PDF but quite similar

PDF Filler an Online Fillable PDF

PDF Filler is an online tool that allows users to easily fill out and edit PDF forms. With this website, you can avoid the hassle of printing out forms just to fill them out by hand or the need to purchase expensive software to create or modify PDF files. PDF Filler simplifies the process by providing a user-friendly interface where you can directly fill out your PDF forms online.

Here’s how PDF Filler works:

  1. Upload Your PDF Form:
    Start by visiting the PDF Filler website. You’ll find a simple interface where you can upload your PDF form directly from your computer or cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Simply click on the “Upload” button and select the PDF file you want to fill out.
  2. Fill Out Your Form:
    Once your PDF form is uploaded, it will be displayed on the website’s editor. The editor provides all the necessary tools and options to easily fill out your PDF form. You can click on the form fields to enter your information or select from dropdown menus, checkboxes, and radio buttons. You can also change the font style, size, and color for your text inputs.
  3. Add Signatures and Annotations:
    PDF Filler allows you to add your digital signature to your PDF form. Simply click on the “Sign” button on the toolbar and choose to draw, type, or upload your signature. You can also add annotations to the form, such as text boxes, highlights, or sticky notes, to provide additional information or comments.
  4. Save and Download:
    Once you have completed filling out your PDF form, click on the “Save” button to save your changes. PDF Filler provides various saving options, including the ability to save the filled form directly to your computer or to cloud storage services. You can choose to save your file as a PDF or in other formats like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. After saving your file, you can download it to your device or share it with others via email or a link.
  5. Secure Your PDF:
    PDF Filler allows you to protect your PDF form with a password, set permissions to restrict editing or printing or add a watermark. These security options ensure that your filled forms are kept safe and confidential.

PDF Filler is a convenient and efficient tool for filling out and editing PDF forms online. It eliminates the need for printing and scanning, making it a time-saving solution for individuals and businesses that deal with a large number of forms. Whether you need to fill out tax forms, applications, contracts, or any other type of PDF form, PDF Filler provides a seamless and user-friendly experience.

WHAT???? it is just a PDF filling Form Website and You said this can be used to design Online Fillable Form.

yes, You list correct, I just wrote about the PDf filler tool but now I will share a hidden secret of this website that most people don’t know, this website has an amazing online FIlltoform feature through it we can design online Fillable PDF that Can be shared via a link.

But first, design a fillable Form with adobe acrobat DC and then upload it. after that go to option filiform and there you will see an send a link to whom you want this form to be filed, copy that link and send it to the people to whom you want that this form needed to be fields.

Conclusion

both are good to go but most of the clients come to me for jot form development and I suggest it if you want some automation like you want each form need to be received as an attachment but I also did work with PDF filler that makes the online form 100% identical and it is really a great way to impress the client. So it depends upon your requirement, you can inbox me, and after looking at your requirement we can decide the best solution.

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