How to Add a Date Picker to a PDF Form in Acrobat Pro 9
Question details
The user needs to add a date picker or date entry functionality to an Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 PDF form without purchasing an external plug-in.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 9
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating or modifying an interactive PDF form that requires users to select or input a date.
- Observed behavior
- Looking for a built-in method or a free scripting solution to integrate a calendar or date-selection tool into the form fields.
Ensure that your PDF document is not protected or locked, and that you have full editing permissions to modify form fields.
Use a Formatted Text Field as a Date Picker
The most straightforward way to enable date picker functionality without extra plug-ins is to format a standard text field as a date. Modern PDF readers will automatically display a calendar dropdown.
By assigning a 'Date' format to a text field, Acrobat instructs compatible PDF viewers (like Acrobat Reader DC) to provide a built-in calendar widget when the user clicks the field.
Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro 9 and navigate to 'Forms' > 'Add or Edit Fields' to enter form editing mode.
Select the 'Text Field' tool from the toolbar and drag a box on your document where you want the date entry to be located.
Double-click the newly created text field to open the 'Text Field Properties' dialog box.
Navigate to the 'Format' tab. From the 'Select format category' dropdown menu, choose 'Date'. Select your preferred date display format (e.g., mm/dd/yyyy) and click 'Close'.
Implement Custom JavaScript for Legacy Viewers
If you need to support older PDF readers that do not have native date pickers, you can embed a free JavaScript-based calendar script.
Create and Edit PDF Forms Easily with WPS Office
If you are looking for a modern, fast, and feature-rich application to manage PDF forms without relying on outdated software, WPS Office provides excellent PDF editing capabilities. You can easily insert text fields, format them for dates, and manage interactive forms.
- 1. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document using the built-in WPS PDF editor.
- 2. Access the Form Tools: Navigate to the 'Form' tab on the top ribbon to access all interactive form creation tools.
- 3. Insert a Text Field: Click on 'Text Field' and drag your cursor over the area where you want the date picker to appear.
- 4. Format as Date: Right-click the inserted field, select 'Properties', and under the format settings, choose 'Date' to enforce date formatting for user inputs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the date picker show up for some users?
The native date picker relies on the PDF viewing software. Older software like Acrobat Reader 9 or basic browser-based PDF viewers do not support the automatic calendar dropdown. Users on these platforms will need to type the date manually.
Can I force users to enter the date in a specific format?
Yes. When you format a text field as a 'Date' and specify a format (like dd/mm/yyyy), the PDF will automatically validate the input. If a user types the date incorrectly, they will receive an error prompt asking them to match the required format.
Do I need to buy a plug-in to add a calendar to my PDF?
No. You can either use the built-in 'Date' format for text fields (which relies on the modern reader's native date picker) or embed a free open-source JavaScript code snippet to handle the calendar functionality.
