How to Add Button to PDF: The Ultimate Guide

Using PDF forms is one of the most efficient methods for offline digital information collection. For many newbies it seems very simple to create a fillable PDF form. However, things get complex when you have to add button to PDF. It is because the buttons must have some actions behind them to make the form interactive.

Luckily, it will not be a problem anymore with the tools we have shortlisted for you in our guide. This guide is about 4 industry-leading tools that can assist you in the task of adding different types of buttons to your PDFs.

Hence, you can pick the one that is the most efficient in your use case.

Top 4 Tools for Adding a Button to PDF

Let us get started with the how-to guides for all these tools:

1. Add Button to PDF with UPDF

UPDF supports working on PDF forms and it also allows us to create these interactive forms from scratch. You can use it to add buttons to your forms for clearing and submitting forms and add email details as well. The good part about UPDF is that you can download and start using it for free trial to access its form editing features.

Apart from working on PDF forms, UPDF also offers a lot of other features including editing, redacting, password protection, annotation, converting, merging, splitting, and more. However, the feature that sets it apart from other PDF tools is the UPDF's AI that works like ChatGPT integration inside its interface.

Whether you are using UPDF for working on PDF forms or using any other feature, it will always offer a standard simple experience. Thanks to the well-designed interface, UPDF provides a user-friendly experience with little to no learning curve at all.

Another amazing feature of PDF OCR is that it helps in making scanned PDF forms or handmade forms into editable and searchable forms for added convenience. So, if you are looking to add buttons to an existing PDF form with UPDF you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Open PDF and Go to Prepare Form

Start UPDF app and open your PDF form. Click "Prepare Form" button from left pane to go into form editing features. Select "Button" then left-click in form to add button on that location.

Step 2: Double-click to Access Button Properties

Double-clicking that button will take you to its properties. You may edit its label, style, and clicking actions from these properties.

Step 3: Save Before Exiting

When done setting up properties of this button you may click "Save as Other" button to save your PDF form with the button added to it.

While it is very simple and easy to add a button to PDF with UPDF, it is a very efficient tool for many other use cases as well as shown in the below videos. Its features like PDF editing, collaboration, OCR, and most importantly UPDF's AI can improve your efficiency when working on PDFs. Purchase UPDF Pro to unlock all its premium features and download it on your devices today!

2. Add Button to PDF with Adobe

Adobe is our next pick for adding buttons to your PDF documents. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is the most advanced and industry-standard PDF software famous for professional usage. Adobe is known for its high performance and wide range of features, but it is not the best choice for all users. It is because Adobe does not come at a price tag that everyone can afford.

So, if you are working in a corporate environment then Adobe might be the right choice. Moreover, Adobe is not the easiest PDF tool to use and has a learning curve. For a casual user, using Adobe for small tasks may seem overwhelming due to the complicated interface design and a wide range of features.

When it comes to adding buttons to a PDF form, Adobe offers exceptional functionality where you can select between different options like a single file, get directly from the scanner, web form, or create from scratch.

Afterwards, Adobe provides the complete set of features to edit the button to give it the desired functionality. So, if the price and learning curve of Adobe are not major problems for you then you can follow these steps to add a button to your PDF forms.

Step 1: Click Tools and Select Prepare Form

Open Adobe Acrobat and without opening your PDF form you will click "Tools" from the top then select "Prepare Form".

Step 2: Choose PDF to Add Button

Select the PDF form file in which you must add button then select "Start".

Step 3: Click Button Option and Click to Add

Select "Button" from top, click cursor in desired location.

Step 4: Edit Button Properties

Click the button then "All Properties" and there you can edit button functionality and properties. Set its properties as per button requirements and click "Close".

3. Add Button to PDF Using Foxit

If you are looking for a simpler experience as compared to Adobe, then you may give Foxit Phantom PDF software a try. It is another PDF software that promises to bring multiple features with an easy user experience making it a strong alternative to Adobe. However, if you are looking for the easiest experience then it may not be your best choice.

The interface of Phantom PDF does not meet modern software design standards and it looks outdated. However, it is still pretty usable as buttons and icons have proper labels which facilitate new users.

When it is about adding buttons to the PDF form, you will get good control over the button with Phantom PDF. It is because the tool allows you to control the properties deeply ensuring that it is set to work perfectly the way you want.

This way, you can set the button to work for different actions like clearing or submitting. All of this takes only a few steps and below are the steps you will need to follow on Foxit Phantom PDF software to add buttons to your PDF forms.

Step 1: Click Form and Choose Button

Open PDF form in Foxit. Click the "Form" tab. Select "Push Button" and add it to the PDF by clicking.

Step 2: Right Click for Properties

Right-click on the button then select "Properties". Here, you can edit the general properties, visuals, actions, and more about the button. Click "OK".

Also Read: Top Foxit PhantomPDF Alternatives: 5 Tools That Work Just as Good

4. Add Button to PDF with LibreOffice

The last one here is LibreOffice which is an open-source PDF tool. It means that you can download and install it for free on your devices and it supports offline usage. You may not find any dedicated PDF mode in this software since it focuses on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint features only.

However, it can still be used for editing your PDF forms and can help in adding interactive buttons. When using LibreOffice, you can use Linux, Mac, and Windows operating system devices and use it for free forever.

On the downside, this tool does not come with a very well-designed user interface. The interface elements and the button styles look like they are from the era of the Windows XP operating system. Moreover, using it can be complex and it will require some learning curve because most buttons are placed at weird locations, and they do not have any labels on them.

The only thing that attracts most users towards using LibreOffice is its free usage. With all these downsides in mind, you may follow the steps below to add buttons to your PDF using LibreOffice.

Step 1: View > Toolbars > Form Controls

Click "File" > "Open" in LibreOffice to open PDF form then click "View" > "Toolbars" > "Form Controls" to get form editing features.

Step 2: Select the Push Button and Click to Add

Click the "Push Button" option and left-click in PDF form where you need the button.

Step 3: Click Control Properties to Edit Button

Click the "Control Properties" button from the bottom right to get button properties. Now, you can change its visuals, actions, general properties, and more. Click "Form Properties" to add an email to accept submissions through the button.

Step 4: Export as PDF

Close properties, click "File" > "Export" > "Export as PDF" to save changes.

Conclusion

One of the best things about the PDF document format is that you can make interactive forms with it. However, a task that most people stumble upon is when they have to add button to PDF. Hopefully, we have solved this problem for you with the 4 tools discussed in this article.

If you are looking for the most effective way not only to add buttons to your PDF forms but for other PDF features as well then UPDF is the best choice hands-down. Its cheap price, extensive features, and easy user interface make it the best for everyone. Download it on your phone and computer to try it now!