Form field types, required fields and validation
Pick a field type that matches the answer (Email, Date, Number, Phone…) and its format is checked as people type. Tick Required in Field options to stop the form being submitted or signed while the field is empty.
Updated 2 min read
The field type decides what people can enter and how it's checked. A plain Text field accepts anything; an Email field rejects "jane@" with Enter a valid email address. Choosing the right type saves you from cleaning up answers later.
| Type | What it collects |
|---|---|
| Signature, Initials | The signer draws, types or uploads a signature or initials. |
| Text, Name, Job title, Company | Free text, single or multiple lines. |
| An email address, validated. | |
| Date | A date picker with a fixed output format you choose. |
| Number, Age | Numbers with optional min, max and decimals; Age is whole years. |
| Amount (USD), Amount (EUR), Amount (JPY) | Currency amounts; yen in whole units. |
| Checkbox, Radio button, Dropdown, Gender | On/off, one choice from a group, or one option from a list. |
| Phone number, Postal code | Checked for the country you choose, or any country. |
| Phone (US), ZIP code (US), State (US), SSN (US), EIN (US) | US formats, checked automatically. |
| Image | The person filling uploads a photo or image. |
| Formula | Calculated from other fields. |
Make a field required
Step 1: Select the field
In Create form mode, click the field. Field options opens on the right.
Step 2: Tick Required
Under Field, turn on Required. It's flagged when empty and marked required in the downloaded PDF too.
Step 3: Add guidance
Use Help text and Placeholder to show what a good answer looks like.
On a published form, respondents see how many required answers are left and can't submit until they're done. On a signing page, a signer can't select Finish until their required fields are complete. Hidden fields never block submission (see conditional logic).
Other rules you can set
- Read-only: shows its default value; people filling can't change it.
- Max length and Multiple lines for text.
- Pattern: a regular expression the whole value must match, for IDs like two letters and six digits. A mismatch shows This value doesn't match the required format.
- Min, Max and Decimals for numbers and amounts.
- Date format: for example MM/DD/YYYY (US), DD/MM/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD (ISO) or DD.MM.YYYY.
- Country format for Phone number and Postal code. Numbers written with + and a country code are accepted from any country.
- Default value, and for dropdowns and radio groups, the list of Options.
Do these checks work in Acrobat after I download the PDF?
Required, Read-only and Max length are saved as standard PDF field flags. PDFBetter's format checks (email, phone, pattern and so on) run in PDFBetter: in the editor, on published forms and on signing pages.
What is the Database name?
The field's internal name, used as the column name in response exports and in formulas. It's created from the label; use letters, digits and _ and don't start with a digit.
Can I change a field's type later?
Yes. Change field type in Field options keeps the name, position, rules and assignment.
Tools in this article
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Related articles
- Make a PDF fillable by adding form fieldsOpen the PDF, switch the top bar to Create form, pick a field type from Add fields and click or drag it onto the page. Set its options on the right, check it with Preview, then download with Keep fillable or publish it as a form.
- Add calculated fields and conditional logic to a formAdd a Formula field and type an expression such as qty * price or sum(items_*_amount) under Calculation. To hide a field until it's relevant, open its Visibility section, turn on Show only when… and add rules.
- Publish a form as a fill link and collect responsesBuild the fields, then choose Done → Publish as form, set the title and options, and select Publish form. You get a link, a QR code and embed code. Respondents don't need an account, and every submission is stored as data and as its own filled PDF.
- Request signatures from other peopleOpen the document and switch to Invite to sign. Add each recipient's name, email and role, choose In order or All at once, place each person's fields, then choose Send, check the title, message, reminders and expiry, and select Send.