Turn fillable form fields into permanent, uneditable page content.
Updated
/ 5 - Be the first to rate this tool Thanks for rating!
Verification failed - please try again.
Quick check
Please verify you're not a robot to submit your rating.
Give feedback
Tell us what you think about Flatten a PDF for free.
Drop a PDF here, or click to upload
Locks in filled form field values
Flattening turns any fillable form fields into permanent page content, so the values can no longer be edited.
Your file will appear here.
Processing…
- Runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded
- Locks fillable fields into permanent page content
- Free, no account required
How it works
-
1
Upload the filled-in PDF form.
-
2
Click to flatten all of its fields.
-
3
Download the flattened copy and keep the original for future edits.
About the Flatten PDF Forms
After a form has been filled in, its fields usually stay editable, so anyone who receives it can change an answer or a figure without leaving a trace. Flattening converts every form field into ordinary page content. The answers look exactly the same, but they can no longer be typed over, and the file behaves the same way in every PDF viewer.
What you can do
- Convert all text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons and dropdowns in the PDF into fixed content in one step.
- Keep the values that were filled in, exactly where they appear on the page.
- Get a file that shows the same answers in browsers, phones and print, regardless of how each viewer handles forms.
- Any comment, highlight or drawing that is not a form field is left as it was; only form fields are converted.
When it works best
- Submitting a completed application or tax form that should not be altered after you send it.
- Archiving signed agreements with their final values.
- Fixing a filled form whose answers disappear or look different when opened in another app.
- Sharing a template that already has your company details filled in, without letting recipients change them.
Things to know
- Flattening cannot be undone in the downloaded copy, so keep the original if you may need to edit the answers again.
- If the PDF has no form fields, the tool says so and nothing changes; a scanned form is already flat.
- It flattens every field at once; there is no option to keep some fields editable.
- To fill in the fields before locking them, use Fill PDF Forms. The file is processed in your browser only.
- Flattening does not remove sensitive data. To hide details permanently, use Redact PDF instead.
Frequently asked questions
It turns text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons and dropdowns into fixed page content that keeps the filled values but cannot be typed over.
No, every field is flattened at once. Comments and drawings that are not form fields are left untouched.
Not in the downloaded copy, so keep the original if you might need to change answers.
No, the values remain visible. Use Redact PDF to remove details permanently.