How to Make a Fillable PDF in Google Docs with Easy Steps

Contracts, surveys, invoices, applications, and other documents require user input. Are you tired of editing, reformatting, modifying, and converting your documents to PDF as a separate task? Well, we all have been there. As far as we try running away from PDFs, they make their way back into our lives as they are legal tender - a staple type of file.

Even though there are a number of tools out there that promise to solve this problem, the tools themselves are pretty confusing and time-consuming. UPFD is here to make your work life better! It covers all the bases of a PDF document, and today, the base we will explore is how to make a fillable PDF in Google Docs using UPDF.

Download UPDF via the below button and let’s begin.

Part 1. Can You Make Fillable Forms or PDFs in Google Docs?

No, you cannot make fillable forms in Google Docs as it does not have any built-in mechanism that can automatically turn a document into a fillable form or a PDF within the application. That’s why there are tools to make your life easier. However, most tools are super confusing and can make the process more complicated and longer.

But with UPDF, the case is entirely different.

It’s not only UPDF easy to use but also user-friendly and less time-consuming.

What is UPDF?

UPDF is an editor that helps to directly make and edit fillable PDF forms without converting them to another format. This tool eliminates the multiple conversion of documents in different formats back and forth, making it more time efficient and less confusing.

What makes UPDF even better is that it is not limited to just PDF creation, it can do a lot more than that. On top of it, getting just one license can enable UPDF on four different devices. Check part 3 for a detailed guide on creating and editing fillable forms with UPDF.

Method 1: How to Make Fillable PDF in Google Docs without Adobe Acrobat

Everyone wants to avoid the hassle of downloading tools or even using them online. This process is actually bisected into two major steps: creation and conversion. So here’s a simplified version of how to make a fillable PDF in Google Docs.

Stage 1. Create a Fillable Form First

• The first step is to open Google Docs and must ensure that you're logged into your Google account.
• Select '+' to create a new blank document.
• To start designing, go to Insert on the top right corner of the page and select the options, such as text fields, dropdown menus, checkboxes, and others. Whether it's a survey or any legal document, you can somewhat design it in Google Docs, except for complex ones.
• Again, go to Insert menu > table > and select the required number of rows & columns for your form. You can further edit the table by merging or resizing the cells.
• Once you have inserted the form fields, you can add radio buttons or checkboxes to it by right-clicking on each field > properties.

• Lastly, before converting the fillable form, run a check test. Click on the Print Preview from the File's dropdown.

Stage 2. Convert the Fillable Form to PDF

Now, once you are sure about the fillable form, you can easily convert it to PDF. This completes the process of how to make a fillable pdf in Google Docs.

Go to the File in the top right corner of the document. Proceed with File > download > PDF Document. 

Method 2: How to Make and Edit A Fillable PDF Easily without Google Docs

Who doesn't want an easy method to create fillable PDFs? However, in most cases, the tools present online just complicate the process further.

With thorough research, we came to the conclusion that UPDF is hands down the best among all the tools. Not only is it user-friendly, but also extremely affordable if compared to other options. It works great for PDF editing and creating fillable PDFs - more like an all-in-one solution package! Before going into how to make a fillable PDF in Google Docs using UPDF, you can download UPDF via the below button and take a glance at some of its top features.

Key Features

• Allows the conversion of PDF from any document type from Word to Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, and others.
• Allows editing and customization of images, texts, background, links, header & footer, and watermarks in PDFs.
• Allows the annotation of PDF documents using text boxes, signatures, stamps, sticky notes, etc.
• Its OCR feature allows converting scanned PDF documents into searchable and editable PDF forms.
• Allows organizing PDF pages by replacing, inserting, extracting, rotating, etc.
• Ensures PDF protection using permissions passwords.

How to Make a Fillable PDF in Google Docs using UPDF

You can easily create fillable forms with UPDF from scratch.

• Download and launch UPDF on your computer.

• If you want to start from scratch, then go to "File" > "Create" > "Blank Page" to create one blank PDF for making a fillable PDF.

• Click "Prepare Form". Now, you can add "Text Field", "Check Box", and "Radio Button", etc to create the fillable PDF form.

• If you have one nonfillable PDF form in PDF, Word, Excel, or other formats, you can use UPDF to convert it into a fillable one. Drag the file to UPDF, navigate to "Prepare Form", and choose "Form Field Recognition" under the tool icon. Now, UPDF will convert your PDF forms into fillable one.

• Once everything is done, you can click "File" > "Save" to save the fillable PDF forms.

It is the tool you need? Download UPDF via the below button and try it on your own.

FAQs About Creating Fillable PDFs in Google Docs

Q1. What is the difference between fillable and editable PDFs?

As the name suggests, fillable PDFs have fillable, interactive form fields which are generally used for surveys, applications, or legal documentation. Users can share their input in these fillable form fields without any editing software or tool. On the other hand, content like graphics and texts of the PDF can be edited in editable PDFs with PDF editors like UPDF.

Q2. What tool in Google Docs can you use to create fillable text boxes?

Drawing Tool available under the Insert tab, allows you to create text boxes, shapes, and lines in Google Docs. You can create any desired shape and insert your required text in it without any additional app or software.

Q3. What is the difference between interactive and non-interactive PDFs?

Non-interactive PDFs only have texts and empty lines, spaces, or boxes. In contrast, interactive PDFs are fillable, where users can directly edit the form fields to share their responses.  

Conclusion

As PDFs have made their importance in our lives, editing and formatting them still stands as an issue for most people. This guide on how to make a fillable PDF in Google Docs covers all the important areas, from creating forms to editing them. Although there're a number of tools in the market to do so, most of them just complicate the process and aren't time efficient.

That's why we recommend UPDF - an all-in-one solution to all your PDF problems. Download today and create fillable forms!