How to fill and sign a PDF online without uploading it
To fill and sign a PDF online without uploading it, use a tool that does the work in your browser: open the PDF, type your answers, tick the boxes, add the date and your signature, then download the flattened file. FormFill's web app works this way, so the document never leaves your computer.
Two kinds of "online" PDF tools
Search for a free way to fill a PDF online and most results look alike. Underneath, they work in one of two ways:
| Server-side tool | Browser-only tool | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the PDF goes | Uploaded to the company's server | Stays in your browser, on your computer |
| Who could see it | Anyone with access to that server, under its retention rules | Only you |
| Big files | Wait for the upload and the download | Opens as fast as your computer reads it |
| Examples of what it suits | Converting formats, OCR, sending for others to sign | Filling in and signing a form yourself |
For a tax form, a lease, a school or medical form, the browser-only kind is the safer choice: those files carry your name, address, signature and often an ID number together.
How to tell whether a site uploads your file
- Watch for an "uploading" progress bar or a wait after you pick the file. A browser-only tool opens the file almost at once.
- Read the privacy policy for words like "processed on our servers" or "deleted after 24 hours". Deleting later means it was uploaded first.
- If you are comfortable with it, open the browser's developer tools, choose the Network tab and watch for a large request when you open the PDF.
Fill and sign a PDF in FormFill's web app
- Open formfill.adelyons.com/app. It runs in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on a computer.
- Open the PDF from your computer. It does not matter whether the PDF has fillable fields or is a flat scan: FormFill places your entries on top of the page.
- Type your answers. Add a text box where each answer goes, then drag it into place and pull a corner to resize it so it fits the printed box.
- Tick boxes and add the date. Use a check mark or an X for boxes and the date tool for date lines. Move between pages to fill the whole document.
- Sign and initial. Draw your signature and initials, then place them on the lines that ask for them. Sign last, after proofreading.
- Download. FormFill flattens your entries into the page and saves an ordinary PDF that looks the same in every viewer.
Filling one of the common government forms? The common forms library opens the W-9, W-4, I-9 and others in the web app ready to fill.
Your first finished document is free. FormFill Pro is the same Pro as the phone app; sign in with Google to use it in both.
Why flatten before you send
An unflattened PDF keeps your answers as a separate layer that some viewers move, hide or drop when printing, which is how a form arrives with blank boxes. Flattening makes your text, marks and signature part of the page, so the recipient sees exactly what you saw.
What FormFill does not do
It fills and signs. It does not read text from scans (no OCR), edit the PDF's own text or form fields, store your documents in a cloud, or send documents to other people for their signatures.
Questions people ask
Can I fill out a PDF online for free without uploading it?
Yes. FormFill's web app reads and fills the PDF inside your browser, so it is never uploaded. Your first finished document is free.
Does the PDF need fillable fields?
No. FormFill places text, check marks, dates and signatures on top of the page, so it works on flat and scanned PDFs as well as fillable ones.
Is my document stored anywhere?
Not on any server. The PDF is opened and filled in your browser, and the finished file is downloaded to your computer.
Can I fill a PDF on my phone instead?
Yes. FormFill is also an app for iPhone and Android, and the same FormFill Pro works in both when you sign in with Google.
FormFill: fill and sign in your browser
Open a PDF, add text, check marks, the date, your signature and initials anywhere on any page, then download a flattened PDF. Everything happens in your browser; the PDF never leaves your computer. More about the web edition.
On your phone? FormFill is also an app for iPhone and Android, with the same FormFill Pro.
More guides: Work & create · all Adelyons guides