# Fill a PDF form

Type into text fields, tick checkboxes and radio buttons, and pick values from lists in a fillable PDF form, then save the filled form as a PDF.

**Available in [pre-release 3.7](https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/prerelease)**

**Click a field and type.** At a glance:

- **Text field:** click it, type, press `Tab` for the next field.
- **Checkbox / radio button:** click it.
- **Combo box / list box:** click it, then click a value in the list.
- **Find empty fields:** **View → Highlight Form Fields** (on by default).
- **Save:** `Ctrl + Shift + S` saves into the PDF; `Ctrl + S` saves to a new PDF.
- **Undo:** `Ctrl + Z`.

You don't need [Edit PDF mode](Editing-annotations.md#turn-on-edit-pdf-mode) to fill a form: fields work with it on or off. In Edit PDF mode with an annotation selected, the first click only deselects the annotation.

## Fill in fields

Hover over a field: the cursor shows whether you can type into it or click it. Read-only fields can't be changed.

**Text fields:**

1. Click the field. An edit box opens over it with the current text selected.
2. Type.
3. Finish with any of:
   - `Enter` (in a multi-line field `Enter` starts a new line)
   - `Tab` / `Shift + Tab` — keep the text and go to the next / previous text or list field on the same page (checkboxes and radio buttons are skipped)
   - click somewhere else
4. `Esc` closes the box without keeping what you typed.

Password fields hide what you type. Fields with a maximum length stop accepting text at that length.

**Checkboxes:** click to check, click again to uncheck.

**Radio buttons:** click one to select it; the others in the group are cleared. Clicking the selected one clears it, unless the form doesn't allow that.

**Combo boxes and list boxes:** click the field. A list of values drops down (below the field, or above it near the bottom of the window). Click a value, or use the arrow keys and `Enter`. `Esc` or clicking away closes the list without changing the value.

If the form has calculations (for example a total that adds up other fields), they run when you change a field. To turn off JavaScript in PDFs, set `DisableJavaScript = true` in [Advanced settings](Advanced-options-settings.md); calculations then don't run.

Hovering over a field shows its tooltip, if the form's author gave it one.

## Highlight empty fields

Empty fields are tinted pale blue, so you can see what's left to fill in. Filled-in fields, read-only fields and signed signature fields are not tinted. The tint is only on screen; it's not part of the file.

Turn it on or off:

- **View → Highlight Form Fields**
- `Ctrl + K`, then `Toggle Highlight Form Fields` (`CmdToggleHighlightFormFields`) in [Command Palette](Command-Palette.md)
- `HighlightFormFields` in [Advanced settings](Advanced-options-settings.md) (default `true`)

## Sign a signature field

Click an empty signature field to open **Sign Document** with that field selected. See [Sign a PDF](Sign-a-PDF.md).

## Save the filled form

After you change a field, the document's tab shows a red dot: it has unsaved changes. Save them into the PDF:

| To                     | Do                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Overwrite the PDF      | `Ctrl + Shift + S`, `Ctrl + K` then `Save Annotations to existing PDF` (`CmdSaveAnnotations`), tab context menu **Save changes to existing PDF**, or right-click the page → **Annotations → Save changes** |
| Save to a new PDF      | `Ctrl + S`, `Ctrl + K` then `Save Annotations to a new PDF` (`CmdSaveAnnotationsNewFile`), tab context menu **Save changes to new PDF**, or right-click the page → **Annotations → Save to new file** |
| Throw the changes away | `Ctrl + K` then `Discard Changes` (`CmdDiscardChanges`), tab context menu **Discard changes**, or right-click the page → **Annotations → Discard changes** — reloads the file from disk |

In Edit PDF mode the **Save** button at the end of the Edit PDF toolbar does the same; hover over it for the other two choices.

Saving to a new PDF suggests `<name> Copy.pdf` next to the original. After saving, SumatraPDF reloads the saved file.

If you close the document (or SumatraPDF) with unsaved changes, the **Unsaved changes** dialog asks what to do:

- **Save to existing PDF** overwrites the PDF.
- **Save to new PDF** asks for a file name.
- **Discard changes** loses what you filled in.
- **Cancel** keeps the document open.

## Make the filled form final

A saved form can still be edited in SumatraPDF and other PDF programs. To turn the filled-in values into ordinary page content, bake the PDF: see [Flatten PDF forms and annotations](Flatten-PDF-forms-and-annotations.md).

## Tips

- Use `Tab` to go through the text fields of a page without the mouse.
- Use **Save to new PDF** to keep the blank form for next time.
- Use `Ctrl + Z` to take back a change; `Ctrl + Shift + Z` redoes it. Inside an open text box, `Ctrl + Z` undoes typing in that box.
- Bake the form before you send it if the recipient shouldn't change the answers.

## See also

- [Sign a PDF](Sign-a-PDF.md) — sign a signature field with a certificate
- [Flatten PDF forms and annotations](Flatten-PDF-forms-and-annotations.md) — make the answers permanent
- [Add an image to a PDF](Add-an-image-to-a-PDF.md) — put a picture of your signature on the form
- [Editing annotations](Editing-annotations.md) — add notes, highlights and text boxes