pdf tool

PDF form fields list

Choose a PDF and every form field in it is listed with its name, type, page, required flag, current value and box size, and drawn as a numbered box on the page. It answers whether a PDF is fillable at all, and if it is, exactly what it asks for.

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How it works

  1. 1

    Choose the PDF

    Pick the file or drop it on the box. The verdict comes first: fillable with a count of fields, not fillable, or an XFA form.

  2. 2

    Read the summary

    Four tiles give the number of fields, how many are required, how many already hold a value, and the mix of types such as 8 text and 3 checkbox.

  3. 3

    Scan the table

    Each row gives the field's internal name, type, page, whether it is required, its current value and its box size. Read only fields and the number of options in a list are noted.

  4. 4

    Find a field on the page

    Choose a field's number to jump to its page and highlight it, or pick a page from the list. Download the list as CSV keeps a copy for a spreadsheet.

How to tell if a PDF is fillable

A fillable PDF has an interactive form, called an AcroForm, made of named fields with a type and a box on a page. A flat PDF only looks like a form: the lines and boxes are printed, and typing into it needs a reader that adds text on top. The two can look identical on screen, which is why the first thing this tool shows is a verdict. Fillable with a count means real fields exist. Not fillable means the boxes are part of the picture. XFA means the form was built for Adobe's older dynamic format, which most readers outside Adobe cannot fill.

What each column tells you

The field name is the internal name a script, a data export or a mail merge uses, which is often not the label printed beside the box, such as txtSurname_2. The type is text, checkbox, radio group, dropdown, list, signature or button. Required means the form asks readers to refuse submission while it is empty, though not every reader enforces it. The current value shows answers already typed, so you can spot a form that still holds someone else's details. Box size, in points, explains why long answers get cut off or shrunk.

Finding a field on the page

Forms built over several revisions collect odd fields: duplicates stacked on top of each other, boxes hidden off the edge, fields with no box at all. The page drawing outlines every field box in blue with its row number, so a hidden or doubled field shows up immediately. Choosing a number in the table jumps to that page and highlights the box in a darker outline. Fields with more than one box, such as a radio group, mark every box with the same number. The PDF is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded and nothing is stored, ever.

Turning a PDF form into an online form

A field list is the starting point for moving a paper style PDF form online. The OneCraft form generator takes up to 5 attachments of 10 MB each, including PDFs, and reads them when it builds the form, while the CSV from this tool gives you the exact names and options to check the result against.

Limits worth knowing

Dynamic XFA forms are reported as XFA without a field list. A form that carries both XFA and AcroForm fields is listed from its AcroForm copy, with a warning that Adobe Acrobat may show the XFA version instead. Encrypted files are refused. Scripts, calculation order and formatting rules are not read.

Limits

  • XFA forms are reported as XFA and not listed field by field, because their fields live in a layer that only Adobe software builds.
  • Box sizes are in PDF points, 72 to the inch, and a radio group or a field shown on several pages lists its first box size and the number of boxes.
  • An encrypted PDF cannot be read here, so it is refused with a message.

What it does not do

  • It does not fill in or change the form. Fill PDF form does that.
  • It does not run or list the form's scripts and calculations.
  • It does not upload the file.

Questions people ask

Why does my PDF have more fields than I can see?

Forms that went through several versions often keep old fields stacked under new ones, or parked off the visible page. Some generators also add hidden fields for calculations. The page drawing outlines every field box, so two numbers on the same spot or a box at the edge of the sheet points to the extra ones. Removing them needs a PDF form editor.

What is the difference between a field name and its label?

The label is the text printed beside the box for people to read, such as Surname. The field name is the internal identifier stored in the form, such as applicant.surname or Text12, used when answers are exported, merged or checked by a script. This tool lists the internal names, because they are what other software sees.

Can I export the field names to a spreadsheet?

Yes. Download the list as CSV writes one row per field with its number, name, type, page, required and read only flags, current value, box width and height in points, and the number of boxes. It opens in any spreadsheet. The file is built in your browser, so the answers in a filled form never travel.

What does a read only field mean?

It is a field the form's author locked so readers do not let anyone type into it, often used for a reference number or a calculated total. The value is still a field rather than part of the page, so it can be changed with an editor. The table marks these fields so you know why they ignore typing.

Why are some fields listed with page as a question mark?

Because the field has no box on any page, or its box does not say which page it belongs to and is not in any page's list either. Such fields still hold data and can be filled by software, but nobody can see or click them in a reader. They are usually leftovers from an earlier version of the form.

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Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .