How to Auto Populate Form Fields in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Are you looking to streamline your PDF form creation process? Auto populating form fields can save you time and effort, especially when dealing with multiple pages or repetitive information. In this tutorial, we'll explore three different methods to auto populate form fields using Adobe Acrobat Pro. To see this in action, be sure and watch the video.

Step 1: Open Your PDF Document in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Ensure that you have Adobe Acrobat Pro installed on your computer. Open the PDF document you want to work with in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Method 1 - Duplicate Fields Across Pages

Automatically copies the field once at the top of each page of your PDF.

Useful to auto populate a Name or DOB on top of each page of a packet of forms.

1. Click on "Prepare a Form" in the toolbar.

2. Identify the field you want to duplicate.

3. Right-click on the field and select "Duplicate Across Pages."

4. Choose whether to duplicate on all pages or select a specific range.

5. Click "OK" to duplicate the field.

6. Drag and drop the field(s) where you want them located on each page.

7. Preview and test your form to ensure the fields are duplicated correctly.

Method 2 - Copy and Paste Fields

Allows you to place the field anywhere throughout the PDF where you want that field repeated.

Useful when you want to duplicate a field to appear in multiple places.

1. Click on the field you want to duplicate.

2. Press "Ctrl + C" to copy the field.

3. Place your cursor near where you want the duplicated field.

4. Press "Ctrl + V" to paste the field everywhere it should appear. Drag and drop to place the field where needed.

5. Repeat the process for additional fields as necessary.

Method 3 - Auto Populate Using JavaScript

Allows you to program existing form fields to auto populate from a designated field.

Useful when your existing form field properties are already named, and you want to set them to auto populate.

1. Identify the fields you want to auto populate and their corresponding names.

2. Double-click on the field where you want the data to appear.

3. Go to the "Calculate" tab and select "Custom Calculation Script."

4. Enter the JavaScript code provided in the tutorial, replacing the field names as necessary.

var field1Value = this.getField("Name1").value;
this.getField("Name2").value = field1Value;

5. Click "OK" to save the script.

6. Preview and test your form to ensure the JavaScript auto population works correctly.

Save and Distribute Your Form

1. Once satisfied with the auto population setup, save your PDF document.

2. Distribute the form to users or clients as needed, ensuring they understand how the auto population feature works.

Further Learning and Resources

• Explore additional features and functionalities of Adobe Acrobat Pro to enhance your PDF forms.

Create Fillable PDF Forms in Acrobat

Insert Submit Button in PDF Forms

Create PDF Forms With Calculations in Adobe Acrobat

Export PDF Form Field Data from Adobe Acrobat Pro to Excel - Adobe Acrobat Forms Data Collection

• Check out my online video tutorials for more advanced form creation techniques.

Creating Fillable Forms - Playllist on YouTube

By following these steps, you can efficiently autopopulate form fields in Adobe Acrobat Pro, saving time and improving the user experience of your PDF forms.