Forms

The Forms tab is where you manage all your PDF templates. Here you upload new PDFs, edit the detected fields and define who receives a filled-out form. This tab is the heart of the module.

Creating a new form

1. Tap Upload PDF.
2. Pick a fillable PDF (AcroForm) from your device.
3. Your app uploads the PDF and reads all contained form fields on the server.
4. The field editor then opens with the automatically detected fields.
5. Refine the fields (labels, required, order), configure recipients and save.

PDF without fields?

If the app detects no form fields in your PDF (e.g. because it’s flat or scanned), the file is deleted again immediately and no form is created. You’ll get a notice. Add the fillable fields beforehand in a PDF editor and upload the PDF again.

Choosing the fill mode

Right below the form basics you choose how users fill out the form:

Guided form

The default. Your app builds a mobile-optimized form from the detected fields - clear, with large input fields and required-field validation. The field and grouping settings apply here.

Fill the PDF directly

The user fills out the rendered original PDF interactively - just like in a browser, with zoom. On submit, exactly this filled PDF is sent.

Fields & grouping only in guided mode

If you choose “Fill the PDF directly”, the settings for fields and grouping are irrelevant and are hidden in the editor - the user works directly in the original document. For a detailed comparison see the Fill mode chapter.

The field editor

Once the fields are detected, you can adjust each one individually. The technical field names from the PDF stay unchanged (they are written back into the PDF 1:1) - you only design how the field is displayed to the user.

Setting	Meaning
Label	The text above the input field. Maintainable in multiple languages - add a translation for every active language in your app.
Required	When on, the user must fill in the field, otherwise the form can’t be submitted.
Order	Drag the fields into the desired order. This is how you define how the digital form is laid out.

The app detects different field types automatically and displays them appropriately:

Text field

A simple input field for free text (name, address, …).

Checkbox

A checkbox to select and deselect (e.g. “I agree”).

Choice (radio/list)

Several fixed options from which the user picks one.

Labels are multilingual - options are not

A field’s label is visible to end users and is therefore maintainable in multiple languages. The choice options come directly from the PDF and are written into the document unchanged - so they technically stay in the PDF’s original language.

PDF preview in the field detail

When you tap a field in the field editor, a detail area opens - and right at the top you see a preview of the original PDF zoomed to exactly this field, with a colored highlight. This shows you at a glance which field sits where in the document. That’s especially helpful with generic field names like “Checkbox 1” or “Text field 3” that the PDF program assigned automatically.

Automatic pre-naming

If a field already carries an embedded PDF label (the technical field tooltip, internally /TU), your app adopts it as a sensible initial label automatically. You then only need to translate or fine-tune it, instead of creating every label by hand.

Grouping fields

Related fields can be combined into a group with a shared heading - for example the individual checkboxes “Mr.” and “Mrs.” under the heading “Salutation”. In the frontend the group then appears as one coherent block with a heading.

Automatically on upload

When parsing the PDF, your app detects typical relationships - such as choice lists or table rows - and proposes or applies them as groups right away. Often there’s nothing left for you to do.

Grouping manually

1. Tap Group fields in the field list.
2. Tap the fields that belong together (at least two).
3. Tap Create group. The selected fields get a shared heading.

Editing the group heading

Tap the group heading in the field list. An area opens with:

Setting	Meaning
Heading	The multilingual title of the group (e.g. “Salutation”). Appears above the block in the frontend.
One choice only	When on, the group behaves like radio buttons: the user can pick only one option (either/or). Off = multiple options selectable at once.
Dissolve grouping	Dissolves the group again - the fields are displayed individually once more.

Effect in the frontend

Grouped fields appear as one block with a heading. With “One choice only” they behave like radio buttons, so options exclude each other - ideal for salutation, gender or membership type.

Form title & description

Every template has a title and a description that appear in the form list and on the fill-out page. Both are multilingual: maintain them for every active language in your app so users see them in their language.

Recipients per form

For each form you define who receives the filled PDF:

• Recipient addresses - fixed email addresses (e.g. the office). At least one address is required, otherwise the form would have no recipient. You can add several addresses.
• Copy to user - when this option is on, the submitting user receives a confirmation copy with the same filled PDF to their own email address.

The filled PDF reaches all recipients as a file attachment.

Email becomes required when filling out

If a form uses “Copy to user” or double opt-in, the email address is a required field when filling out and must be in a valid format - otherwise there would be no address for the copy or the confirmation code. Without these two options, entering an email stays optional for the user.

Per-form toggles

Toggle	Effect
Active	Only active forms appear in the frontend. You can prepare inactive templates at your leisure.
Copy to user	The user receives a confirmation copy of the filled PDF.
Double opt-in	The application is only sent after email confirmation by code (see “Recipients & Opt-In” tab). The global default can be overridden here per form.

Managing templates

You’ll also find the created templates in the admin area under /admin/pdf-forms/templates - a dedicated list page with search and filter. There you keep an overview even with many forms and jump straight into editing a template.