How to Automatically Collect Responses from a Distributed Adobe Acrobat Form
Question details
The user wants to automatically collect and organize responses from a distributed PDF form but cannot find the legacy Acrobat.com feature.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Distributing a PDF form via email or link and attempting to automate the collection of user responses into a single dataset.
- Observed behavior
- The Acrobat.com option is missing, forcing the user to manually merge returned form responses into Excel.
Ensure you are using an updated version of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, as the legacy Acrobat.com response collection workflow has been discontinued and replaced with native tracking tools.
Use the Prepare Form Tool to Distribute and Track Responses
Since Acrobat.com is no longer available, you must use Acrobat's updated distribution workflow to automatically track and compile form responses.
Adobe Acrobat DC replaced the older Acrobat.com workflow with native distribution and tracking tools. You can distribute forms via email, an internal server, or SharePoint, and Acrobat will create a dedicated response file to automatically compile all incoming data.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and open the PDF form you wish to distribute.
Navigate to the 'Tools' menu at the top of the screen and select 'Prepare Form'.
Locate and click the 'Distribute' button situated at the bottom right of the right-hand tool pane.
Select your preferred delivery method (such as Email or Internal Server) and follow the on-screen prompts to send the form to your recipients.
Acrobat will automatically generate a PDF Portfolio (Response File) on your local drive. Open this file and use the 'Add' button to compile any returned responses into one trackable dataset.
Easily Convert PDF Form Data to Excel with WPS Office
If you are tired of complex Adobe distribution tools and want a straightforward way to extract form data, WPS Office provides a quick and highly efficient PDF to Excel conversion feature. Easily turn your filled PDF forms into editable spreadsheets.
- 1. Open WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your filled PDF form.
- 2. Select PDF to Excel: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab and click on the 'PDF to Excel' conversion button.
- 3. Convert and Compile: Select the PDF files containing the responses and convert them into an Excel spreadsheet to easily manage the compiled data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Acrobat.com option missing in my Adobe Acrobat?
Adobe discontinued the Acrobat.com service in newer versions of Acrobat Pro DC. Form distribution and response tracking are now handled natively through the Prepare Form tool using email, SharePoint, or internal servers.
Can I still export my collected PDF responses to Excel?
Yes. Once you have compiled the returned forms in Acrobat's automatically generated Response File, you can select 'Export' from the left pane to save the compiled data as a CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file.
What if my recipients do not have Adobe Acrobat to fill the form?
Recipients do not need a paid Adobe subscription. They can fill out and return standard PDF forms using free software like Adobe Acrobat Reader or WPS Office.
