Fix Acrobat Form Submit Button Not Working in Acrobat 2017
Question details
The user needs to fix a PDF form submit button that is unresponsive in Acrobat 2017, despite functioning correctly in Acrobat Reader DC.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat 2017
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Clicking a submit button on a completed PDF form to send the data externally.
- Observed behavior
- The submit button does nothing when clicked in Acrobat 2017, and no error message is displayed to explain the failure.
Ensure you have the necessary administrative privileges to modify security preferences in your PDF reader, and verify that the destination web URL for the form submission is currently active.
Adjust Internet Access Settings in the Trust Manager
Modify Acrobat's security preferences to allow the PDF file to launch a web browser, which is necessary for processing external form submissions.
Adobe Acrobat includes strict security settings that can sometimes block a PDF from accessing the internet. By default, Acrobat 2017 might be configured to silently block external browser launches, which causes web-based submit buttons to fail without providing any warning or error message.
Launch Adobe Acrobat 2017. Click on the 'Edit' menu at the top of the application window, and select 'Preferences' from the dropdown list (or press Ctrl+K on your keyboard).
In the Preferences window, look at the Categories pane on the left-hand side and scroll down to select 'Trust Manager'.
Locate the section labeled 'Internet Access from PDF Files outside the web browser' and click on the 'Change Settings' button.
Change the default behavior to allow the PDF to launch your default web browser, or select the option to allow all web sites. Click 'OK' to save your changes, then try clicking the submit button on your form again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF form submit button work in Acrobat Reader but not in Acrobat Pro?
Different versions of Adobe software (like Reader DC versus Acrobat 2017) often have different default security configurations. The Trust Manager settings may be more restrictive in your specific version, silently blocking the internet access required to submit the form data.
How can I tell if a PDF form submit button is broken or just being blocked by security?
If the button is genuinely broken, it typically will not work in any PDF viewer. If it works in another program (like a web browser or a different PDF reader) but fails in your primary software without showing an error message, it is highly likely being blocked by internal Trust Manager security settings.
Can I bypass the Trust Manager settings for just one specific PDF or website?
Yes. In the Trust Manager's Internet Access settings, instead of allowing all websites, you can choose 'Custom setting'. This allows you to add specific websites or URLs to an approved list, granting permission only to the submission link used in your specific PDF form.
