Create a Fillable PDF Form Using PDF.co and Make

Step 1: Create a Make Scenario

Sign in to Make and create a new scenario.

Select the large plus button to add the first module.

Search for PDF.co and select the application.

Step 2: Select Create Fillable PDF Form

Choose Create Fillable PDF Form as the PDF.co action.

This module adds interactive form fields to an existing PDF. The current list of PDF.co modules is available in the PDF.co integration directory on Make.

Create or select your PDF.co connection and complete the authentication process presented by Make.

Step 3: Select the Source PDF

Choose the input method supported by the module:

• Import a File from URL: Enter a direct URL to the source PDF.
• Upload a File: Map the binary file data returned by a preceding Make module.

When importing by URL, the address must point to the actual PDF file and allow PDF.co to download it. A browser-preview page or a link requiring an interactive sign-in may not work.

For this example, use:

https://pdfco-test-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pdf-edit/sample.pdf

Enter an output filename such as:

fillable-form.pdf

Step 4: Determine the Field Coordinates

Each form field must be positioned on the PDF with coordinates.

Use the PDF.co PDF Inspector available in PDF.co API Tools to inspect the page and measure the required locations.

The main positioning values are:

• X: Horizontal distance from the left side of the page.
• Y: Vertical distance from the top of the page.
• Width: Width of the form field.
• Height: Height of the form field.
• Pages: Page or pages where the field will appear.

PDF.co page indexes begin with 0:

• 0 places the field on the first page.
• 1 places it on the second page.
• 0- applies the field from the first page through the end of the document.
• !0 identifies the last page.

Use 0 when a field should appear only on the first page.

Step 5: Add a Text Field

In the module’s form-fields section, add a new item.

Configure the field:

• Type: Text Field
• ID: A unique internal field name, such as full_name
• Text: Optional default or placeholder value
• X: Horizontal position
• Y: Vertical position
• Width: Width of the text box
• Height: Height of the text box
• Pages: 0
• Font Name: Select an appropriate font, such as Arial
• Font Size: Enter the desired text size
• Alignment: Select left, center, or right as appropriate

For example:

• Type: Text Field
• ID: full_name
• Text: Enter your full name
• X: 100
• Y: 170
• Width: 300
• Height: 24
• Pages: 0
• Font Name: Arial
• Font Size: 12
• Alignment: Left

Every field should have a unique ID. The ID is used to identify the field when the form is completed programmatically or when its values are extracted later.

When specifying a font size, also select a font name so the size is applied consistently.

Step 6: Add Additional Text Fields

Add another form-field item for each required value.

For example, an email-address field could use:

• Type: Text Field
• ID: email_address
• Text: Enter your email address
• X: 100
• Y: 220
• Width: 300
• Height: 24
• Pages: 0
• Font Name: Arial
• Font Size: 12
• Alignment: Left

Adjust the coordinates to match the labels and available space in your source PDF.

Avoid using the same ID for multiple unrelated fields. Reusing an ID can cause fields to share the same value in some PDF viewers.

Step 7: Add a Checkbox

To add an empty checkbox, create another form-field item and configure it as follows:

• Type: Checkbox
• ID: A unique field name, such as accept_terms
• X: Horizontal position
• Y: Vertical position
• Size, Width, or Height: Set the checkbox dimensions presented by the module
• Pages: 0

For example:

• Type: Checkbox
• ID: accept_terms
• X: 100
• Y: 270
• Size: 16
• Pages: 0

If the checkbox should be selected initially, choose the checked-checkbox field type or enable its initial checked setting.

Step 8: Configure Processing and Output

Select the appropriate execution mode:

• Sync: Suitable for a small PDF with a limited number of fields.
• Async: Suitable for a standard background job.
• Async for Large Docs: Suitable for larger or more complex documents.

If the module provides an export-type setting, choose:

• Download a File when the next module needs the PDF as file data.
• JSON Output when the next module should receive the PDF.co result URL and response metadata.

PDF.co output links are temporary. Add a storage module after PDF.co if the completed form must remain available permanently.

The underlying form-field functionality is documented in the PDF Add API reference.

Step 9: Run the Scenario

Select Run once in Make.

The PDF.co module should process the source document and return the completed file or its temporary URL.

Review the module output and confirm that:

• The operation completed successfully.
• The output filename is correct.
• A PDF URL or downloadable file is present.
• No field configuration errors were returned.

Step 10: Test the Fillable PDF

Download or open the generated PDF.

Test every field:

1. Click inside each text box.
2. Enter sample text.
3. Select and clear each checkbox.
4. Confirm that fields appear on the intended pages.
5. Check that text fits within the field boundaries.
6. Save the document and reopen it to confirm that the entered values are retained.

Adobe Acrobat Reader generally provides the most reliable test for interactive PDF form behavior. Browser PDF viewers may display or save form fields differently.

Step 11: Optional: Save the Form to Cloud Storage

Add another module after PDF.co to save the completed form.

For example, you can use:

• Google Drive — Upload a File
• Dropbox — Upload a File
• Microsoft OneDrive — Upload a File
• Amazon S3 — Upload an Object

When the PDF.co module exports file data, map that data into the storage module’s file field. When it returns a URL, use a compatible download or import-by-URL option.

Step 12: Optional: Fill the Newly Created Form

After creating the fillable template, it can be used in another Make scenario with the PDF.co Fill a PDF Form module.

Map values to the field IDs created in this tutorial, such as:

full_name
email_address
accept_terms

This makes it possible to populate the form automatically with information from Google Sheets, Airtable, a CRM, a web form, or another application.