Batch editing

Edit multiple PDF form fields at once

Select more than one field and FormForge switches its properties panel into batch mode, so a tooltip, a required flag, a border colour or a size applies to the entire selection in one move. Every batch change is a single undo step, and the whole editor is free and runs in your browser.

Try batch editing — free
  • Any mix of field types
  • One undo step per change
  • Mixed values stay mixed
  • No account
The FormForge properties panel in batch mode, showing six fields selected, a type breakdown and the shared properties that apply to the whole selection

Batch editing at a glance

The properties panel changes the moment a second field joins the selection. This is exactly what that mode gives you.

Batch mode starts at
More than one field selected
Panel header
Count plus type breakdown
Shared properties
12, on any mix of types
Type-specific sets
Text, number, date, dropdown, checkbox, radio
Undo
One step per change
Mixed values
Shown as Mixed; Escape reverts
Select all fields
Cmd/Ctrl+A
Nudge
1 pt, or 10 pt with Shift
Price
Free
Step by step

From a selection to a bulk change

Four steps. Nothing is written until you leave the input, and nothing costs more than a single undo to take back.

  1. 1

    Select on the canvas

    Drag a marquee across the page: it takes every field the box touches and keeps going across page boundaries. Hold Shift, Cmd or Ctrl to add to a selection, or press Cmd/Ctrl+A to take the whole document.

  2. 2

    Or work from the field list

    The field list filters by type and counts "shown" and "selected" live. Select shown takes the current filter in one click, shift-click picks a range, Cmd/Ctrl-click toggles a single row, and Clear starts over.

  3. 3

    Read the header

    The properties panel tells you how many fields are selected and what they are — for example 3 × Text · 2 × Checkbox — so you always know whether you are about to change a clean set or a mixed one.

  4. 4

    Change a property

    Edit any shared property and it lands on every selected field as one undo step. Text inputs commit when you leave them or press Enter, and Escape puts the old values back before anything is written.

What you can change

Twelve shared properties, plus a set for each field type

Some properties make sense for anything on the page. The rest appear only when your whole selection is a single type.

The FormForge field list panel with a type filter, live shown and selected counters, and Duplicate, Cut and Delete actions in the properties panel

Any mix of types

Always available

  • Tooltip
  • Required
  • Read only
  • Visible on screen
  • Print field
  • Include in submission
  • Border width and border colour
  • Fill background and background colour
  • Width and height

Text fields

Uniform selection

  • Default value and maximum length
  • Font size, font colour and alignment
  • Multiline and scroll long text
  • Password and spell check
  • Comb characters

Number fields

Uniform selection

  • Default value
  • Minimum and maximum
  • Decimal places
  • Font size and alignment

Date fields

Uniform selection

  • Date format
  • Default value
  • Font size

Dropdowns

Uniform selection

  • Default value and font size
  • Allow custom input
  • Sort options
  • Spell check
  • Commit the value immediately on select

Checkboxes and radios

Uniform selection

  • Checkbox: default checked
  • Checkbox: check style
  • Radio: group name
Privacy

Forty fields changed, nothing uploaded

Batch editing is an editor feature, and the FormForge editor runs entirely in your browser. Selecting, editing and exporting all happen on your own device, so whatever those forms are about — salaries, case numbers, patient details — the document is never sent anywhere to be processed. The clipboard is local too: copied fields are tagged JSON held by your own browser, which is why they can be pasted into another tab or another document without a round trip through a server.

Local processing

The PDF is parsed, edited and exported inside the browser tab. There is no upload step for the file itself.

No account, no sync

Your work autosaves to that browser's local storage on that device, not to a cloud profile you have to sign in to.

Clipboard stays on device

Copying fields between tabs and documents uses your own browser clipboard, not a shared server-side buffer.

Read the privacy policy
Honest limits

What batch editing will not change

Four properties stay per-field on purpose, and a few tools people expect from a design app are simply not there. Better to know before you plan a clean-up pass.

  • Field name is never batch-editable — every field needs its own name, so renaming stays a one-at-a-time job.
  • Export name is per-field for the same reason.
  • The option list of a dropdown cannot be edited across a selection.
  • X and Y position are not batch properties. Move a selection by dragging it, or nudge it with the arrow keys: 1 pt per press, 10 pt with Shift.
  • There is no align or distribute tool, no bulk rename and no tab-order editor.
  • You cannot resize a multi-field selection by dragging a handle. Set width and height numerically in the panel instead.
  • Number minimum and maximum, and the date format, are editor-side settings. They are not written into the exported PDF as validation rules.
  • Type-specific properties disappear as soon as the selection holds two different field types. Filter the field list by type to get a clean set back.

A stray keystroke cannot overwrite a selection: text inputs commit on blur or Enter, checkboxes are tri-state with an explicit Mixed state, and Escape reverts the edit before it is applied.

FAQ

Questions about batch editing

Can I edit multiple PDF form fields at once?
Yes. As soon as more than one field is selected, the FormForge properties panel switches to batch mode and every change you make applies to the whole selection. Tooltip, required, read only, visible on screen, print field, include in submission, border width and colour, background fill and colour, width and height all work on any mix of field types.
How do I select more than one field?
Drag a marquee across the canvas — it selects everything the box touches and works across page boundaries — or shift-click and Cmd-click individual fields. The field list panel adds a type filter, a Select shown button, shift-click range selection and Cmd/Ctrl-click toggling, and Cmd/Ctrl+A selects every field in the document.
What happens when the selected fields have different values?
The panel says so instead of guessing. Checkboxes become tri-state and show Mixed, On or Off, and text inputs show a "Mixed values" placeholder. Nothing is written until you commit a value by leaving the input or pressing Enter, and pressing Escape reverts — so a stray keystroke cannot overwrite forty fields.
Is a batch change a single undo step?
Yes. Every change applies to the whole selection as one undo step, so one Cmd/Ctrl+Z takes back the entire edit rather than unwinding it field by field. Dragging a multi-field selection to a new position is one undo step too.
Which properties cannot be changed in bulk?
Four: the field name, the export name, the option list of a dropdown, and the X and Y position. Names have to stay unique per field, and positions are changed by dragging the selection or nudging it with the arrow keys — 1 pt per press, or 10 pt while holding Shift.
Can I copy fields from one PDF to another?
Yes. Copy, cut, paste, duplicate and delete all work on a selection, and the clipboard is tagged JSON held by your browser, so fields can be pasted between browser tabs and between documents. A paste lands at the cursor and retargets to the page under it.
Does batch editing work on a mix of field types?
Yes, for the twelve shared properties. The panel header shows the breakdown, for example 3 × Text · 2 × Checkbox. Type-specific properties — max length, decimal places, date format, check style, radio group name and the rest — only appear when the whole selection is a single field type.
Does batch editing cost anything?
No. Batch editing is part of the free FormForge editor: no account, no credit card and no per-seat licence. It runs in your browser alongside every other field type and property the editor offers.
Keep exploring

Where batch editing pays off

The feature that creates a lot of fields at once, the teams that clean them up, and the full workflow.

AI field detection

Let a model place the fields on a flat PDF, then tidy the whole batch in one go.

Developers & QA

Prototype AcroForm layouts and set flags across a whole field set at once.

HR & Recruiting

Mark a long onboarding pack required, tooltip and all, without clicking through it.

How to create a fillable PDF form for free

The step-by-step guide to placing fields and exporting an Adobe-ready form.

Stop editing forty fields one at a time

Select them, change the property once, and move on. It runs in your browser, costs nothing and undoes in one keystroke.

Open FormForge — free