How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF?

Cisdem PDFMaster

Create Customized Fillable PDFs Handily

Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7

Free Download macOS 11 or later

Brief Summary: This post is dedicated to teaching you how to add a fillable text box in PDF with diverse PDF editors, both offline and online. Totally 4 methods are provided.

Fillable text boxes are widely applied in a variety of forms to collect information. People who receive these forms can easily fill in the content with a normal PDF viewer. Therefore, learning how to add a fillable text box in PDF will greatly improve our productivity.

Cisdem PDFMaster

Create Customized Fillable PDFs Handily

• Add fillable text boxes in PDF that users can easily fill out.
• Add other useful form fields to PDF, check box, list box, combo box, etc.
• Insert a signature field for someone else to sign electronically.
• Create a fillable form from PDF, Word, Images and so on.
• Perform OCR feature to turn scanned PDF into editable.
• Easily edit the existing text and add new text to PDF.
• Plentiful PDF tools: compress, merge, security, watermark, background, measure and more.

Free Download macOS 11 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
Earlier than macOS 11, click here

Can We Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Using Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft Edge does provide more capabilities to work with imported PDF than just viewing PDF. It enables to add new text to PDF, however, the text field will change its size with the amount of text entered and disappear as you finish typing the text in it. So if you are looking for a fillable text box with obvious shape and defined size, then you have to resort to other solutions.

Add Various Fillable Fields (Including Text Box) with PDF Editors

PDF editors are the optimal option to add fillable text boxes and other fields. They typically pack multiple useful functionalities in one place, including creating forms, editing, redacting, converting, protecting and signing. Here we’ve compiled a list of excellent PDF editors, which are compatible with Windows and Mac.

#1. Cisdem PDFMaster

The most cost-effective PDF editor should be Cisdem PDFMaster. It comes with an intuitive user interface and abundant features. There are a wealth of tools to handle PDF documents, from editing the current text, redacting confidential information, to creating and filling out interactive forms.

Diverse Fillable Form Fields It Provides

• Text Box: Enter a single-line or multi-line of text.
• Check Box: Select or deselect an item.
• Radio Button: Select an item from a group of options.
• List Box: Select an item from all items shown in the list box.
• Combo Box: Choose an option from a drop-down list.
• OK Button: A clickable button that takes you to a specific page or a web link.
• Signature Field: Add an electronic signature or a digital signature.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF?

1. Download and install this form creator on your Windows or Mac.
   Free Download macOS 11 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
   Earlier than macOS 11, click here
2. Click Open Files to upload your PDF file.
3. Choose Form feature on the top toolbar, there are 6 form fields available.
4. Select Text Field and place the text field on the page where you want to add a fillable text box. You can change its appearance on the right panel.
5. The inserted text box allows you to enter a single line of text by default. By ticking Multi-line option under the Options tab, you can enter multi-line text in the text field.
6. You can also add other useful interactive fields in the PDF as you need. Hit the Save icon after edits. The PDF can be filled with a browser or any PDF viewer.

#2. Adobe Acrobat Pro

You must have heard of Adobe Acrobat, as the leading software in the PDF industry, its features are undoubtedly very powerful. The Pro version provides multiple interactive fields to prepare for a fillable form. Furthermore, it has a smart auto detection feature that can automatically recognize the blank horizontal area and then add fillable text boxes. This can save lots of time but still requires your manual adjustment.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Using Adobe Acrobat?

1. Run the program of Adobe Acrobat Pro.
2. Head towards the Tools tab and select Prepare Form tool.
3. Import a PDF and click Start to begin the task.
4. Choose the Text Field icon and drag your cursor to customize the size of the inserted text field.
5. You can click Properties from the right-click menu list to tweak the settings about text boxes.
6. Before saving the PDF, click Preview to enter your desired text into the text boxes.

#3. Foxit PDF Editor

Foxit PDF Editor is also a cheaper alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro, well reviewed by numerous users. It comes with a ribbon-style user interface, similar to Microsoft Office, so even novices can be acquainted with this software in a breeze. Besides, it is capable of automatically detecting form fields in the PDF as Adobe Acrobat does.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Using Foxit?

1. Launch the program of Foxit PDF Editor.
2. Open your PDF file by clicking Open File or drag & drop.
3. Go to the Form tab and choose Text Field to add a fillable text box in PDF.
4. Right click on the inserted text box, you can modify the properties as per your preferences in the pop-up.
5. When you’re done adding fillable text boxes in PDF, hit the Save icon to apply the changes.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Free?

Online PDF editors also provide an efficient way to add fillable text boxes in PDF. Most of basic features they contain are completely free for occasional use. 

Is There a Way to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF in Google Docs?

The answer is no, you can’t add a fillable text box in Google Docs for someone else to fill out.

Google Docs is an online word processor developed by Google. It can be signed in with a Google account and allows users to create and edit text documents easily. Besides, it can open a PDF directly through converting it to Word format. In the work interface, you can edit the existing text and images at will, as well as adding a new text box. The steps are as follows:

• Go to Google Drive with your personal account.
• Click “+ New” button > File upload to import a PDF.
• Right click on the PDF and open it with Google Docs.
• In the document editing interface, go to Insert > Drawing > + New to pop up a window.
• In the Drawing dialog box, hit Text Box icon to draw a text box on the board. Inside the text box, you can enter the text easily.

The text box can be customized with a colored border, just like a fillable text box we need. However, when you convert the edited Word back to PDF, the text box will become an image inserted in the PDF. People who receive the PDF can’t edit and fill in the text box at all.

Using Online PDF Editor

Sejda is one of few online PDF editors that support adding fillable form fields to PDF. It offers 5 options to create an interactive PDF form. They are respectively text field for single text line, text area for multiple text lines, radio button for single option, dropdown for multiple options and checkbox for selection or deselection.

How to Add a Fillable Text Box in PDF Free?

1. Search Sejda and choose Create Fillable PDF Online tool.
2. Click Upload PDF file or drag & drop to import a PDF.
3. Choose Text Field option and place the rectangle on the blank area. If you want to enter multiple lines of text, then choose Textarea option.
4. Click on the inserted text box, you can change its properties using the floating toolbar. Also, drag its corner to define the box size.
5. When you’re done, click Apply changes to save this fillable PDF.

Are there any other workable ways you’d like to recommend to us that we can add fillable text fields to our PDFs for free or even with a paid subscription? Write them down in the comments below.