How to turn an Excel sheet into a fillable PDF

Order forms, timesheets, inspection checklists and price sheets are often built in Excel. When you save them as PDF, you normally get a flat page: it prints nicely, but there are no fields to type into. Turning it into a fillable PDF takes two steps. First, export a clean, well-fitted PDF. Second, add form fields to it. Both can be done with free tools.

First, decide whether a PDF is the right format

A fillable PDF is a good fit when people need to fill in a fixed layout and send it back, print it, or keep a copy: an order form, a sign-up sheet, a checklist. If people need to do real spreadsheet work, such as adding rows, sorting or running formulas, keep it as an Excel file or move it to a web form. A PDF can add up a few totals, but it is not a spreadsheet.

Step 1: export a clean PDF from Excel

Most layout problems start here, so it is worth a few minutes.

Clear the sample data. Remove any names, numbers or test entries. The PDF should be a blank template.
Set the print area. Select the cells that make up the form, then Page Layout → Print Area → Set Print Area.
Fit it to the page. On the Page Layout tab, in Scale to Fit, set Width to 1 page, and choose portrait or landscape to match the form. Use File → Print to preview what the PDF will look like.
Make blank cells visible. Gridlines do not print by default. Add borders to the cells where answers go so people can see where to type.
Export: File → Save As (or Export) and choose PDF.

Using LibreOffice Calc instead? The same ideas apply: set a print range (Format → Print Ranges → Define), check the page preview, then File → Export As → Export as PDF.

Step 2: add the fields

Now treat the export like any flat PDF. The free option is LibreOffice Draw:

Open the PDF in LibreOffice Draw.
Turn on View → Toolbars → Form Controls and Design Mode.
Draw a Text Box in each answer cell and a Check Box for each tick column. Name each one in Control Properties. Use row-based names like qty_1, qty_2 so you can tell rows apart.
Export with File → Export As → Export as PDF and tick Create PDF form.

Spreadsheet PDFs are grids, so they are well suited to the image fallback if Draw shifts the text: place an image of the page and draw fields over each cell. Details are in adding fillable fields to a PDF. Adobe Acrobat’s Prepare a form tool (paid) can also detect fields automatically, though tables are where auto-detection most often needs fixing.

About totals and formulas

Excel formulas do not carry over into the PDF. If your order form needs a line total (quantity × price) or a grand total, those have to be rebuilt as calculated PDF fields. That is possible in Acrobat and some other editors, but it is the fiddliest part. Test it with awkward numbers such as zero, blanks and decimals. If you would rather not, calculations are a $19 add-on to our service.

Making a spreadsheet form easy to fill in

Size number fields for numbers. A quantity cell does not need room for a paragraph.
Right-align amounts so columns of prices line up.
Tab across, then down. For row-based forms, set the tab order to finish one row before starting the next.
Repeat the header row on each page if the form runs to more than one page.
Show units in the column header: hours, dollars, pieces.

Have it done for you

Share a link to the blank Excel file (or the PDF you exported) and we take it from there: convert to PDF if needed, add the fields, set the tab order, and test it in Chrome and Firefox. $29 for 1–3 pages, $59 for 4–10, plus $19 if you want calculated totals.

Starting from a Word file instead? See Word to fillable PDF.

FAQ

Can Excel save a fillable PDF directly?

Not that we know of. Excel’s Save as PDF is built for printing and doesn’t add form fields for empty cells. Export a clean PDF, then add form fields with a tool such as LibreOffice Draw or Adobe Acrobat.

Will my Excel formulas work in the PDF?

No. Formulas do not transfer. Totals must be rebuilt as calculated PDF fields, which we offer as a $19 add-on.

My spreadsheet prints across several pages. Is that a problem?

Fix the page setup first so the form fits the page width. Each printed page counts toward the page price: $29 for 1–3 pages, $59 for 4–10.

Should I use a fillable PDF or a web form?

Use a fillable PDF when people need a fixed document to save, print or email back. Use a spreadsheet or web form when they need to add rows or work with the data.

Rather not do it yourself?

Send us the blank spreadsheet or its PDF. $29 for 1–3 pages, $59 for 4–10, and $19 if you want totals that calculate.

See prices