Fill out a PDF online, free.
Type into a PDF's form fields, or add text anywhere on the page, then download. Add a date or your signature in the same place. No signup, and the file never leaves your browser.
How to fill a PDF in 4 steps
- Click Choose a PDF or drop the file onto the box.
- If the PDF has form fields, fill them in the list above the pages.
- Choose Add text and click anywhere else you need to write. Drag to move, + and − to resize.
- Click Download filled PDF. Need to sign too? Signing works the same way.
Two kinds of PDF, two ways to fill them
Some PDFs are real forms: whoever made them added fillable fields, so a rental application or a tax form knows where your name, date and checkbox answers go. Others are just pictures of paper, like a scanned intake sheet or a contract exported from Word, with blank lines but nothing a computer recognizes as a field. Most online tools handle only one of the two. This one handles both.
When you open a PDF, we look for built-in form fields. If there are any, they appear in a list above the pages: type into them, tick the boxes, pick from the dropdowns, and the answers go into the real fields, which stay editable in the file you download. If there aren't any, or you need to write somewhere the form's author didn't plan for, choose Add text and click anywhere on the page to type.
Why nothing is uploaded
The forms people fill online are rarely boring: bank details on a direct-debit mandate, a passport number on a visa application, medical history on a clinic intake form. Uploading those to a stranger's server so you can type into a box is a bad trade. Everything here runs in your browser. The PDF is read, filled and saved on your device, and you can check it: disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the tool still works.
Our take: any free PDF filler that insists on uploading your file should explain why. Most can't, because the work doesn't need a server; the upload is there to collect files or push you into an account.
Getting a clean, professional result
Zoom into the page before placing text so it lines up with the printed line rather than floating above it. Keep each answer in its own text box instead of one long box across the page; they're easier to move and resize. Use the + and − controls to match the size of the surrounding print, which is usually smaller than you'd expect. For dates, the Add date button writes today's date in one consistent format, which looks better than a mix of typed styles.
If the form asks for a signature as well, use the signature button in the same toolbar: draw it with a mouse or finger, or type your name in a handwriting font, then place it on the line. When you're done, download the file and open it once in your usual PDF reader to check every field printed where you expected.
When filling a form yourself isn't enough
A filled-in PDF you send back by email is fine for most everyday paperwork: a school permission slip, a supplier onboarding form, an expense claim. It gets thin when the other side needs to prove who filled it in and when. A landlord collecting an application from a stranger, or a business onboarding a new client, is better served by sending the form for signature: the signer fills and signs through a link, and the finished PDF carries a certificate with timestamps, IP addresses and a fingerprint that shows it hasn't been changed.
That's what eSignSimple's eSignature does. The free filler is for your own documents; sending is for documents other people need to complete.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fill out a PDF form without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. Open the PDF here, type into its form fields or add text anywhere on the page, and download it. It works in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android.
Will the fields still be editable after I download?
Yes, if the PDF had real form fields. We fill them without flattening, so you or the recipient can still change the answers. Text you add with Add text is written onto the page and isn't editable as a field.
Why can't I type into my PDF anywhere?
The file probably has no built-in form fields, which is common for scanned or exported documents. Use Add text and click where you want to write.
Does it support accented and non-Latin characters?
Yes. Typed text and form answers use an embedded Unicode font, so names like Müller, Şahin or Łukasz come out correctly in the downloaded PDF.
Is there a page or file size limit?
Files up to 30 MB. Very long PDFs work too, but take a little longer to open because every page is drawn in your browser.