How to Create a Fillable PDF with an Email Submission Button
Question details
The user needs to create a fillable PDF form equipped with a clickable button that allows respondents to submit their completed form directly to the creator via email.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating an interactive PDF form to collect information from customers or clients remotely.
- Observed behavior
- The user wants to configure a button field inside the PDF to trigger an email workflow automatically, sending the filled data securely back to a designated email address.
Before adding an email submission button, make sure your PDF document is finalized and all necessary text fields, checkboxes, and dropdowns have already been properly set up.
Create an Email Submission Button using Adobe Acrobat
Use the 'Prepare a Form' tool in Adobe Acrobat to add an interactive button that executes an email submission action.
By configuring a button with a 'mailto:' URL, you can automatically launch the respondent's default email client, attaching either the full PDF or the form data to be sent directly to your inbox.
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat. Go to the right pane or the 'Tools' menu and select 'Prepare a Form'. If prompted, allow Acrobat to auto-detect and create form fields.
Click the 'Add a Button' icon (which looks like a small 'OK' rectangle) from the top toolbar. Click and drag your cursor on the document to draw the button at your desired location.
Double-click the new button to open the 'Button Properties' dialog box. Under the 'General' tab, name your button. Switch to the 'Options' tab to change the button layout and type 'Submit' in the Label field.
Navigate to the 'Actions' tab. Ensure the 'Select Trigger' is set to 'Mouse Up'. In the 'Select Action' dropdown, choose 'Submit a form', and then click the 'Add' button.
In the Submit Form Selections window, type 'mailto:your_email@example.com' (replacing the example with your actual email address) in the 'Enter a URL for this link' field. Select your preferred export format, such as 'PDF The complete document'.
Click 'OK', then close the Button Properties window. Save the PDF and open it in a standard PDF viewer to test the button and ensure it successfully opens your email client with the document attached.
Edit, Fill, and Manage PDF Forms with WPS Office
WPS Office features a robust built-in PDF editor that allows you to easily view, fill out, edit, and share PDF forms. With excellent cross-platform support, you can seamlessly collect and distribute PDF documents without hassle.
- 1. Open PDF File: Launch WPS Office and open your fillable PDF file.
- 2. Fill the Form: Navigate to the 'PDF' tab and click on the interactive fields to input your data. You can also use the 'Fill & Sign' tools to add text or signatures to flat PDFs.
- 3. Share via Email: Once filled, click the 'Menu' button, select 'Share', and choose the 'Email' option to instantly attach the filled document to a new message in your default email client.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't the email submission button working for my respondents?
The submission button relies on the respondent's default system email client being properly configured. If they exclusively use webmail (like Gmail in a browser) and haven't linked it to their system's mail handler, the button may fail to generate an email. Providing an alternative return email address as plain text is highly recommended.
Can I send only the form data instead of the whole PDF?
Yes. When configuring the 'Submit a form' action in Acrobat, you can choose to send only the form data (such as FDF or XFDF format) instead of the complete PDF. This results in a much smaller file size, but you will need the original PDF template to view the imported data correctly.
Do users need a premium PDF editor to use the submit button?
No, respondents only need a standard free PDF reader (like WPS PDF or Adobe Acrobat Reader) to fill out the form and click the submit button. However, creating and configuring the button initially requires a premium PDF editing tool.
Is there a specific format required for the email address in the button properties?
Yes, you must prefix the email address with 'mailto:' in the URL field (for example, mailto:support@example.com). Without this exact prefix, the PDF viewer will interpret the entry as a standard hyperlink and try to open it in a web browser.
