Create a web form Part 1

Create a web form Part 1

Web forms are a great way to present your customers with a self-service method of signing a contract. You can create a simple sign-up form containing only a signature requirement as well as a complex multi-field document that collects user data and requires internal counter-signatures.

Start by creating your form as a PDF, and then use the Create a Web Form tool in Acrobat to generate an online version that anyone can sign.

To access the Create a web form tool, do one of the following:

  • In the Acrobat desktop app, go to the Tools center, scroll down to the E-Sign section, and then select Create a web form.
  • Sign in to Acrobat online, select the E-Sign menu in the top navigation bar, and then select Create a web form.
Choose Create a web form

Steps to create a web form

  1. 1. Select the Create a web form tool as explained earlier. The Create a web form file selector page is displayed.

  2. 2. Add a file:

    Upload (by search or drag-and-drop) the primary file that you are using to build your web form agreement.

    The selector on the right of the Select a file button allows you to choose from the source where the file resides. The default is your local system.

    Select a file for the web form

    Once a file is selected, the configuration page loads.

  3. 3. Name your web form (ideally something intuitive). The web form name is the default name of all resulting agreements generated from the web form.

  4. 4. (Optional) Add additional files if needed.

    The initial file selected to start the web form is already attached.

    Upload any additional file(s) that you require to build your online form.

    • Multiple files can be uploaded.
    • All files uploaded are concatenated into one agreement.
    • The order the files are listed dictates how the final agreement will look.
      • You can click and drag the files to sort them.
    Add form files

  5. 5. Add participants

    • List the participants required to complete the form and select an action for each participant:
      • Sign: Signs the form and may also enter data.
      • Approve: Reviews and approves the form; may also enter data or sign.
      • Fill form: Enters required data and submits the form, but typically doesn’t sign.
      • Copied (cc): Receive notifications as form completion progresses.

    The first participant listed accesses the form through your website, so their email address is not included (as it is unknown and will change for every signer).

    Any additional participants constitute your internal counter-signers:

    • Click the Add participant button to include additional participants (up to 36 max).
    • Enter the email addresses for each "internal" participant.
    • Assign the action for each participant.
    Add participants

  6. 6. (Optional) Configure the authentication for each participant by clicking the key icon to the right of the participant.

    Email is the default authentication method for confirming the identity of each participant and is sufficient to obtain a legal signature in most cases.

    You can increase security for a given participant by adding a second authentication method they will need to satisfy before they can interact with the form.

    • Password: Requires the participant to enter a password to access the Web Form
      • You supply the password
      • You need to share this password with the participant out of band
    • Knowledge-based authentication (KBA): Requires participants to provide their name, address, and the last four digits of their SSN (optional) then answer questions to verify their identity
      • Powered by RSA and only available in the U.S.
      • KBA is a pay-for-use service. Contact Sales to add this option to your account
    Configure optional authentication for the participants

  7. 7. (Optional) Add a password to secure the completed/signed agreement PDF.

    You can optionally apply a password to the PDF copy of the completed (signed) document by clicking the pencil icon next to Add password (at the bottom of the page).

    • If configured, the password must be successfully entered before the PDF will open for viewing
    • When configured, the text under the setting header changes to show Password required to view completed form
    Secure signed agreement PDFs

  8. 8. Click Next in the upper-right corner of the window.

    Click Next

  9. 9. Add fields to the Web Form.

    You can now add the necessary fields to the Web Form.

    Click and drag the fields from the right menu of field types.

  10. 10. When all of the fields are in place, click the Create button in the upper-right corner of the window

    Add the fields to the form

    Note

    Web forms are created in an Active state.

    Once the Create button is clicked, the URL becomes accessible and the form can be signed.

  11. 11. View the Web Form confirmation page.

    A confirmation page is shown verifying that the Web Form has been successfully created.

    From this page, you can:

    • Share the URL: Copy the URL to share the form with others as a link (ie: in email or as an href under an image on your web site)
    • Embed Code: You have the option to copy the embed code in either HTML or JavaScript to embed your form as a viewable object on your web page

    Additional options include:

    • Previewing this web form: Opens the form in the first participant view
      • This is a great way to test your web form as it will complete normally (provided all participants complete their actions)
    • View your web forms: See all of the web forms connected to your user and their current status
    • Create another web form: Opens the initial configuration page to create a new web form
    Post-creation verification page

    • Related Articles

    • Create a web form Part 2

      Managed web forms from the Home or Documents tab After the web form is created, you can manage it from the Home tab on the Acrobat desktop or the Documents tab in Acrobat online. 1. Navigate to the Home or Documents tab 2. Select Web Forms in the ...

    • Create a web form Part 3

      Reactivate a web form Disabled web forms can be reactivated at any time and resume function. 1. Navigate to the Home or Documents tab. 2. Select Web Forms in the left navigation pane. 3. Single-click the Disabled web form you want to reactivate. This ...

    • Create and verify PDF accessibility Part 1

      Overview You can use Acrobat to make PDFs meet the common accessibility standards, such as the latest version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and PDF/UA (Universal Access, or ISO 14289). Acrobat provides the following accessibility ...

    • PDF form field properties Part 2

      Set form fields actions The Actions tab in form field properties allows you to assign actions triggered by user interactions. Here are its key components: Select Trigger: Choose the user action that initiates the action, such as Mouse Up, Mouse Down, ...

    • Optimizing PDFs Part 2

      PDF Optimizer options (Acrobat Pro) Use the options from the panels in the PDF Optimizer dialog box to reduce the size of a PDF. Images panel The Images panel of the PDF Optimizer lets you set options for color, grayscale, and monochrome image ...