Create Fillable PDFs from Forms in LibreOffice Writer

To make a fillable PDF in LibreOffice Writer, add form controls to your document, then export it as a PDF with Create PDF form enabled. Save the editable Writer file as your master; the PDF is the version recipients fill in.

Before you add fields

Use Writer’s form controls when people need to type into text fields, check boxes, or choose from a list in a PDF. This is different from drawing blank lines or square symbols on a page: those only look like fields and will not accept input. LibreOffice’s Form Controls help documents the available controls and how to insert and edit them.

Plan the page first. A one-page registration form, for example, might ask for a name, email address, category, and consent. Use short prompts, leave enough space for answers, and group related choices together. A simple table can help align labels and controls; remove or soften table borders if they should not appear in the printed form.

• Save a working copy as an OpenDocument Text file (.odt) before adding controls.
• Decide which answers need free text, a single selection, or a yes/no choice.
• Keep labels beside their fields so users can understand each control when tabbing through the PDF.

Insert interactive controls in Writer

1. Show the Form Controls toolbar. Choose View > Toolbars > Form Controls. If your interface uses a different menu layout, look for Form Controls under the Insert menu or the Form menu; available entry points can vary by version and interface layout.
2. Turn on Design Mode. In the Form Controls toolbar, switch on Design Mode so you can place and edit controls. LibreOffice describes Design Mode as the mode for editing controls; turning it off lets you use them.
3. Add a control. Click a control such as Text Box, Check Box, Option Button, or Combo Box on the toolbar. Then click and drag on the page where the control belongs. Repeat for each answer. A text box accepts typed text; a check box records an on/off choice; option buttons suit a mutually exclusive choice; and a combo box presents a drop-down list.
4. Keep controls aligned. Place each field consistently beside its label. Make text boxes long enough for expected answers and check that long prompts do not collide with controls. Avoid using several nearly identical blank lines as a substitute for one usable text field.

Set field properties and navigation

Right-click a control and choose Control Properties to edit its settings. Give each field a useful, unique name, such as full_name or email_address. Names make fields easier to identify if responses are later collected or processed. Add a visible label or explanatory text on the page; do not rely on a technical field name to explain what a recipient should enter.

For a drop-down, enter clear choices and decide whether users may type a value outside the list. LibreOffice’s Combo Box can allow typed entries unless its read-only property is set. Use a List Box when the user should choose from listed entries. For one-of-many choices, use Option Buttons and give buttons in the same group the same Name property; separate groups should use different names.

Check the tab sequence as well as the page layout. Choose Form > Activation Order to review or change the order in which controls receive focus when the user presses Tab. A logical sequence usually follows the reading order: top to bottom, then left to right. Turn off Design Mode and click through the controls in Writer to check that they respond as expected. Turn Design Mode back on if you need to make changes.

Export a fillable PDF

1. Save the updated .odt master.
2. Choose File > Export As > Export as PDF. In the PDF options, stay on the General tab.
3. Under Forms, select Create PDF form. LibreOffice states this creates a PDF form that users can fill out and print. The same panel includes a Submit format setting—FDF, PDF, HTML, or XML—which controls the format used when a form is submitted from the PDF.
4. Choose a Submit format only if your workflow uses a configured submit action and you know how submitted data will be received. Checking Create PDF form does not by itself create an email inbox, web endpoint, or response database.
5. Click Export, choose a filename, and save the PDF. Keep the .odt file so you can revise the layout and controls later.

See LibreOffice’s current PDF Export General documentation for the Create PDF form and Submit format options. Its Writer Form menu reference also lists Design Mode and Activation Order.

Verify the exported file

• Open the exported PDF in a PDF viewer that supports interactive forms. Confirm that fields can be focused and that text, check boxes, and drop-down choices behave as intended.
• Use Tab to move through fields and check that the order is sensible. Try a long answer to see whether it fits the field.
• Enter sample data, save a separate test copy, close it, and reopen it to confirm the entries persist in that viewer.
• Print or preview a filled copy if recipients may print it. Check that controls and labels remain aligned and readable.

PDF viewers do not all handle every form feature identically, so test the PDF in the software your recipients are likely to use. If a field is missing or not interactive, return to the .odt file, confirm the control exists and Design Mode is off before export, then export again with Create PDF form selected.