How To Create A Fillable Form In Microsoft Word (Create HR Template Forms) Part 1

[@SharonSmith]

Want to take your form-building skills to the next level? 🚀 Checkout my KZbin Course on "Creating Fillable Forms in Microsoft Word: A Step-by-Step Guide," kzbin.info/aero/PLb80efKTbWuNzAyHVMYrPOS7itBm5gWVs where your frequently asked questions on forms are answered, like how to insert a Submit form button that works with any email client and how to export completed form data to Excel quickly and easily. 💡 The Course includes 15 video lessons, a handy PDF workbook with all lesson summaries and VB code tidbits, and two versions of the Word form template we build together (a behavior-based interview questionnaire form). You can still always access all the free content on my Channel (over 100+ video tutorials). Please note that the KZbin Courses feature is in Beta and currently limited to a subset of Creators. Courses are only available in the United States, South Korea, and India. Viewers must use a computer or Android device to buy a Course. We hope KZbin Courses will roll out to more Creators, devices, and regions in the future! Thank you for taking the time to checkout my Course! You may see some of your other favorite KZbin Creators who have also launched Courses by going to their Channel page and clicking on the "Playlist" tab. Enjoy!

[@anushakumari2598]

I am sri lanka, i interest with video tutorials, but i cant wach please help me to watch this 17 you tube tutorials

[@maverick19_]

Thanks for the tut, if the start enforcement is greyed out, what could be wrong? I added the text form field as per the video.

[@thesawsans]

it's Not available in Israel :(

[@samanthagoebel6006]

You may have saved my job. Someone give this woman a medal.

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you, Samantha! So glad to hear you found this video helpful. I have a playlist of related videos on creating fillable forms that you may find useful if you ever need to refer to it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5zXi2Z4Ytmsp9U Thanks for watching!

[@vimalvincent5919]

This video is very on point and easy to follow. Just wanted to add one pointer as well. Instead of searching for the 'Legacy tools' in the search box. Simply enable the 'Developer' Tab in word to get quick access to all these dynamic content control boxes and buttons. To activate the Developer tab:- 1. Navigate to File > Options (bottom left) > Customize Ribbon. 2. In the right-side column, scroll down and check 'Developer'. 3. Click OK and you will have a new tab between the View and Help ribbon tabs. Cheers!!

[@SharonSmith]

Awesome tip, thanks for sharing! I would also mention to create forms with either all legacy tool form fields or all content control form fields, but if you create a form with a combination of both, end users may have issues tabbing through the form fields once the form is saved as restricted (for filling in forms). I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment!

[@chachak8978]

Omg. THANK YOU! Legacy tools didn't even come up and I was getting so frustrated!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi there! ISorry to hear that! I created a quick video after this one that shows how to enable the Developer Tab: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHzRfqmBZ76NZ6M in case you need it. (There is a different way to enable if you are a Mac user: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4rWYmSLZct_mac). This was my first video on creating fillable forms so in the rest of my playlist, I was sure to let everyone know how to enable the Developer tab and find the Legacy Tools drop-down. Thanks so much for watching!! I appreciate it!

[@protectorofillinois3]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS! This is the MS Word vid I've been looking for. 6 months ago, we've decided to go with a completely paperless office and it's a huge success. We now use our PC laptops (Dell is my personal favorite brand lol), smartphones & tablets to distribute & sign documents electronically (we also use Internet faxing services as well. Got so tired of the physical fax machines). I'm a full-time Graphic Designer and I also use Microsoft Office 2019 Professional to design interactive forms (in addition to presentations), brochures, newsletters & contracts, for each department of the public relations firm, and I owe it all to you. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful & informative vid. YOU ROCK!

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you, that is so great to hear! Going paperless is a wonderful process improvement for sure. I'm very glad this video was exactly what you were looking for and glad it helped you out. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment. I appreciate you watching my videos!

[@katherineabad3335]

This was so much easier to follow than many others that I clicked on. Thank you for being so clear and quick, I really appreciate it. I wish other KZbinrs could teach the way you do.

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you very much Katherine! So glad you found my videos helpful. That is my goal. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a nice comment. I appreciate it. Best of luck!

[@bubbette916]

This has to be the best how-to video I have ever watched. You have no idea how much I appreciate you right now.

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you Mariana! I'm so glad you found my videos helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@SharonSmith]

Oh, and I will have a new video coming out this week that you may find helpful. It is part of my "creating fillable forms" playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLb80efKTbWuOe1LfFMNExEabkRkB5ehcv Thanks for watching!

[@stephaniekendall2343]

I'm working on a start-up company. I'm creating forms that will be used by the clients. This video was so user friendly, I am looking forward to learning more about the technical side of business. Thanks Sharon!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Stephanie! I'm so glad you found the video helpful, and I appreciate you taking time to leave a comment. Good luck with your start-up! Thanks for watching!

[@sayedpasarly]

This was so much easier to follow than many others that I clicked on. Thank you for being so clear and quick, I really appreciate it.

[@SharonSmith]

Glad to help! Thank you for your kind feedback and thanks for watching!

[@neland]

I can't tell you how many videos and searches I've done to try and figure some of this out. Seriously, you are amazing. Thank you for the help. Great video!

[@SharonSmith]

Very glad to help, Neland! Thanks so much for watching my videos!

[@callywolk3875]

I love your tutorials, and I agree with Katherine below that this was soooo much easier than the other tutorials I started to watch about creating a restricted form. Excellent work!!! I also loved your tutorials about creating MS Forms and Power Automate flows. You're a pro!!!

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks so much! I'm so glad you find my videos helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@1baktra6]

Thank you, Sharon. You're truly a lifesaver. Peace. After searching the KZbin web, only yours made sense. Awesome awesomeness.

[@SharonSmith]

Oh, thank you so much! I'm very glad my video helped you. I really appreciate your kind words and your awesomenss! Thank you for watching my videos!!

[@MMM-c4g1f]

That was so simple! I'm following a course, but the instructions were so complicated, I couldn't make sense of them. This is so quick and easy, thanks!

[@SharonSmith]

That is great to hear! I’m glad my video helped you out. Thanks for watching!

[@rogangranite]

Thank you for a second time. I forgot most of which You taught me. The beauty of this is I watched it again and I liked it again and I just wanted you to know I really appreciate your efforts. Thank you

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Thomas! So glad to hear you found my videos helpful! Thanks for watching!!

[@gajendrasingh9486]

Very helpful video...which word version you have ...I am working on 2013...but this tools not showing plz guide ...

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! I'm using Office 365 for Windows/PC. I hope this helps! Thanks for watching!

[@gajendrasingh9486]

@@SharonSmith thank you for reply and guide...

[@greglangford2562]

Best KZbinr I’ve seen, very clear in the instructions. Well done 👍

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you so much, Greg! Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@jocelynebecerragarcia3102]

I was literally about to have a breakdown because I could not, for the life of me, figure this out. This video made it so easy I felt silly not knowing how to do this before. Thank you for your expertise!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Jocelyne, I’m so glad to hear you found my videos helpful and you were able to get your work done. Thanks so much for watching!

[@mikethomas3173]

Simple and exactly what I needed. I was right there, and just couldn't get to the finish line. Thank you.

[@SharonSmith]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@JadeJustineTowse]

Perfect! I have to edit our employee clearance form so it's fillable like this. I only searched for fillable Word doc forms on KZbin, and little did I know I would be getting a tutorial by a fellow HR professional. Definitely subscribing! :)

[@SharonSmith]

Oh thanks so much Jade!! Great to have a fellow HR Pro subscribe to my channel. I have a whole playlist on creating fillable forms (with related videos), but also other content you may find helpful in your HR work. Here is a link to my channel videos: kzbin.info/door/TNdsxjmMPi-9S_Puj88tqAvideos Also, if you want to sign up for my email list at mailchi.mp/6a0859ea0844/sharonsmithhrformulasdownload you get FREE downloads of super helpful spreadsheet formulas, HR dashboards and Org Chart templates for HR professionals. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment. Best of luck to you!

[@amandawolfe5533]

Thank you sooo much for this! I was asked to create a FRM for my job super last minute and I was stressing sooo much until I found your video! You made it sooo easy and I created the FRM in less than an hour! :)

[@SharonSmith]

That is awesome Amanda! So glad to hear my video helped you out. Thanks so much for watching and taking time to leave a comment. I have a playlist on creating fillable forms in case you find more videos like this helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5zXi2Z4Ytmsp9U Take care!

[@fdecesaro]

Very easy to follow. I liked the fact that you were shown in the lower left hand corner with the document on the screen. Nice touch.

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks so much for watching! Glad you like my videos. I appreciate you taking time to leave a nice comment. Take care!

[@uniquefall6952]

My attention was sparked by your last post !! Furthermore, I thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with this collection of Microsoft Word form-building techniques. It's really worth watching, and it helped me progress in my learning because I'm a beginner. I wish you the best of luck !!

[@SharonSmith]

You will be a pro before you know it! Thanks so much for taking time to leave such nice comments on my videos. I really appreciate it. Take care!

[@ritaguess9834]

That was the best and way easier than Wonder Share and it was Free. I love this and wish I had found you a long time ago. Thank you so much!

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you so much, Rita! So glad to hear you found this video helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@stlvi3tsoldi3r]

Quick, simple, and straight to the point. I really do appreciate your video!

[@SharonSmith]

I'm so glad to help! Thanks so much for watching!

[@aastaz2]

Excellent, I like making things short and straight to the point. Thank you.

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you, yes me too! Thanks for watching!

[@AzmatQazi-SSDN]

Dear Sharon, you have solved my huge problem. huge thanks. Azmat from Pakistan

[@SharonSmith]

So glad to hear my videos have helped you. Thanks for watching!

[@philmybush]

SO much better than the 1 hour plus nonsense videos. Thanks

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks so much for watching! Glad you found it helpful!

[@kmackey2292]

Thank you so much. I have trying to remember on my own to figure out how to make fillable text box. Legacy tools was what I was looking for.

[@SharonSmith]

I’m so glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@paulnadeau8202]

Best version of building a form video. Thanks!

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks, Paul! Great to hear and glad you found my videos helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@petercalkins3011]

Sharon great video presentation on fillable forms. Which of your vids explains how to create the type of form that you used to add; the text form fields, checkboxes and drop-down lists? You are my go to for forms. Thanks, Peter

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Peter - thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed this video. Right now this is my only fillable forms video posted, although I have more coming out soon. I'll let you know when they get posted. Thanks so much for watching!

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

I did this for a conjugation sheet of English verbs for an ESL class. No more having to type the same verb forms over and over. Thanks.

[@SharonSmith]

That is awesome! So glad you found my videos helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@melissam731]

Thanks Sharon for this very helpful tutorial. Once you have the fillable form save. Can it be saved as a PDF form?

[@debbiesmith2908]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!! So easy to follow and it truly saved me from getting a headache!!

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks for watching, Debbie! Glad it helped you out!

[@constanzadanielagonzalez4990]

Thank you for this tutorial! Should the document be saved as a .docx file or as a template?

[@SharonSmith]

You can save as either file type. I would only save as a template if you plan to use it over as a template. Otherwise, it will still work for users if you save as a .docx file type and your users also use Word. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching!

[@78GoldCoast]

Gosh Im studying Business Admin and have spent all day trying to figure this out. Thankyou so much.

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Catherine! I'm so glad this video was helpful for you. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment.

[@hanam3026]

Your explanation was so easy to follow and I created a form in no time! Thank you!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Hana! I'm so glad this video was helpful for you. I also have another video you may like where I show how to use the content control form fields: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJCxmpKcn5Jka5o Thanks so much for watching and taking time to leave a comment. Take care!

[@erictsang789]

Sharon Thanks for your footage, i wonder if we can only use the Legacy droplist to have the interactive effect of Quick Part.

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Eric! I'm not sure what you are looking to do, but sometimes there are things you can do with Legacy Tools that you aren't able to do with Content Controls or ActiveX. Thanks for watching my videos!

[@ForClarityCompany]

Question: How to format this form to gather data to a spreadsheet or other? Your explanations are great, easy to follow.

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! Here is a video that shows one way to do this to get data from your Word form fields into Excel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKbHlXtmidCYZq8 I hope this helps! Thanks for watching my videos and for subscribing to my Channel!

[@charlesnorris8147]

Clear, concise, and a good pace. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you so much for the great feedback and for watching my videos! I really appreciate it. Glad to share the knowledge. Take care!

[@jobanjotpelia2283]

Hi Sharon, is there a way to export a fillable form created on Word into a fillable PDF? (without Acrobat Pro DC, just purely by exporting the doc?)

[@dirksmeets9189]

You are the best if it becomes to clear explanation! Thank you!!

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks for the nice comment, Dirk! Thanks for watching! Glad you found it helpful!

[@kellyl3648]

Hi great video! Thank you so much. I have a quick question - I have use the plain text legacy but when I start completing the form the set titles moves as I am filling the form out. How can I lock the titles in place?

[@kingsize6581]

Hi Sharon, thanks for the great videos. I have a question, I want same date written in several places, i.e. the date entered in one field appears in several fields. How to do it? Thanks in advice

[@NickLuntley]

Hi Sharon, excellent video. My version of word doesn't seem to have the 'legacy tools' functions which is so frustrating. I need to be able to drop pictures into a document any thoughts on how to get these tools? Is thisd something you have encountered before? Many thanks Nick

[@SharonSmith]

Hello - do you have your Developer Tab enabled? Here is a video on how to do that and you should find the Legacy Tools drop-down from that tab in the Controls area of the Ribbon: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHzRfqmBZ76NZ6M I hope this helps! If you are on a Mac, there is a different way to enable the Developer tab on a Mac: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4rWYmSLZct_mac Thanks for watching!

[@captainhastings2011]

Yes I do, I have the developer tab but not as many options as shown on your screen. No picture option for sure. I’m using office 365 on Mac is this relevant?

[@WSHInt]

Hi , Great, informative video. Been using the Legacy tools but wanted to add a bigget text box for more text so I inserted the Frame option. Once Restriced though I'm unable to actually Type in it? Any suggestions?

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! I think this other video might help you in this scenario: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZi5YYaBe5Wilbc it shows how to place a form field in a table so that it will expand automatically no matter how much text a user types in. I hope this helps you! Thanks so much for watching and good luck with your form!

[@joycelynwhatley2261]

THIS WAS GREAT!!! I am a teacher doing virtual learning... AWESOME TUTORIAL.

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you so much, Joycelyn! That is great to hear, glad you found this video helpful. Thanks for watching my videos!

[@lynnettemartin5300]

Thank you!!! I've been trying to figure out why I couldn't restrict the editing, and I was doing it wrong! Awesome that you did this!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Lynnette! Glad to hear my video helped you out. Thanks so much for watching and taking time to leave a comment, I appreciate it!

[@heads2gethercooperative559]

Hi Sharon, thanks for this helpful presentation, how do we make the text boxes clear, not grey?

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! Glad to help! Here is a video that shows where to turn off the grey shading if using legacy tool form fields: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJLKqINrf9ipbc0 Thanks so much for watching! Take care!

[@Tiffany-RemoteOfficeGirl]

Thanks Sharon! Question. If a company prefers to have everything in Adobe Acrobat Pro PDF format, can a MS Word form such as the one you created be saved as a PDF and still function? Or would you have to create all the functions within Adobe?

[@MK25625]

Hi Sharon, thank you very much for the video! I have a question regarding the Word programmer in the Text Type form field, it is possible to modify and increase the number of characters in "Expression", when the type is selected in "Calculation". I need to execute an expression with more characters than is allowed. Thank you!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Carlos, I'm guessing you may be getting an error if there is a limit exceeded in that field. If so, unfortunately, that may just be a limitation in MS Word. Thanks so much for watching my videos!

[@MK25625]

@@SharonSmith Hi Sharon, Tank you very much for your information!

[@shellycarlson4036]

Thank you for this video! So helpful! I'm now wondering if you create this in Word, and then can you save it in Adobe to create a PDF form?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Shelly! So glad you found my video helpful! Unfortunately the form fields won't work if you save the document as a PDF. You would have to use Adobe to create a fillable PDF form. Hopefully your users have MS Word and can open the form in Word. I hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching!

[@shellycarlson4036]

@@SharonSmith Ok.... so I create the "form" in Word, leaving space for areas to "fill" and then save it in Adobe. Once it's saved as a PDF, then I can create the fillable portions? Sorry for asking an additional question.... I work at a nonprofit and am trying to figure this out on my own - we do not have a IT department! The challenges of working in a nonprofit! :)

[@shriramjayaraman]

Hi Sharon. I work for a MNC and amidst the countrywide lockdown in India we were trying to roll out a fillable PDF form for clients. The developer tab is hidden by default, and though I am proficient at Excel and Word, this never caught my attention. Thanks to your session I was able to turn it around in a matter of minutes. I owe you something! 😊

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Shriram, that is awesome! So glad to hear one of my videos was able to help! Thanks so much for watching and for the great feedback. My best to you! Thank you.

[@shriramjayaraman]

@@SharonSmith Hi Sharon. The date field is posing challenges. The calendar does not have a scroller for Years and hence you can only navigate one month at a time left or right. Since the field is protected, user can't type the date either. Hence it becomes a challenge for entering say Date of Birth, when you need to go back 30-40 years one month at a time :(

[@SharonSmith]

Oh, that doesn't work well for your users then...as an alternative, you could insert a plain text form field so users could type their Date of Birth. Hopefully Microsoft will enhance Date Picker in the future!

[@shriramjayaraman]

@@SharonSmith Another simple but effective bypass is hold the Page up key and doze off... That works too 😊

[@uniquefall6952]

:) Your post caught my attention! Furthermore, thank you for taking the time to contribute your knowledge and experience with this collection of helpful MS word form-building tips. It's well worth watching and in to end It made me feel ready and finally pushed me to try. I wish you all the best !!

[@SharonSmith]

Very glad to help! I'm so glad you are working on creating forms. You can start out simple and once you get the hang of it, it's kind of fun! Best of luck to you! Thanks for watching my videos!

[@erinscarlata3071]

Great Video. I've been watching others and not being able to follow. I do have a question. How to I make the form fields longer?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Erin! Thanks for watching my videos. Here a video you may find helpful that shows how the form field expands when text is entered: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZi5YYaBe5Wilbc I hope this helps! Thank you!

[@tonyblanc474]

Sharon Thank you for these tutorials. Wonderful and simple instructions. I have a question, When using Legacy tools, and form is complete and saved as a template. The grey shadow remains after it is filled in. How do I remove the grey shadow. Is it better to use developer tools.

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Tony! Thank you so much for watching my videos and glad you find them helpful. There is a way to turn off the grey shading with legacy tools - this video will show you how: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJLKqINrf9ipbc0 (in addition to showing how to remove placeholder text if using content control form fields). I hope this helps you out! Take care!

[@QrooSpanish]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@SharonSmith]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@beatrizsantiago5340]

Hi thank you so much for this video. I tried it and it works just like you stated on the video. I have a question How do you stop the other text boxes from shifting when you are filling in the information?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Beatriz! You can always insert a table and hide the borders to keep the form fields from shifting other ones. Here is a video that will show how to do that, starting at 04:43 kzbin.info/www/bejne/paDLXn1na9WMm5Y Hope this helps! Thanks for watching!

[@benreidpersonaltraining3462]

Thanks for the video Sharon! I’m looking to send these fillable forms via WhatsApp to allow users to fill out these forms on their mobile device. However, when opening the document, nobody can edit the document despite me following all the steps you mentioned. Do you have any advice on how I can enable editing on mobile devices? Thanks very much😃

[@carrieadams1011]

This video was so helpful when I searched how to make a form fillable! I have ran into a form with an anchor and that has hung me up! I would also love to know how you got yourself overlaid onto the video like that also! Thanks so much again the video was great!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Carrie! I’m so glad you found the video helpful. If you have a form issue that I may be able to help troubleshoot, feel free to e-mail me more info about your question at: [e-mail]. I’ll do my best to help. I film my videos on a green screen and then overlay my desktop as the background. Thank you for taking time to post a comment, and I’m very glad you found this video helpful. If you have not already subscribed to my channel, you can subscribe and click the bell to receive a notification when I post new videos. I have some more fillable forms videos coming out that may answer some of your questions. Thank you for watching!

[@mbray5651]

Hi Sharon! This was super helpful. I know it's an old video, but I was hoping you could help me. Is it possible to make formfields fillable while also allowing the end user to edit the document? I'm making a template and the end user needs to be able to customize it as needed, but I wanted there to be a quick and easy way for them to fill in certain information. Thanks!

[@enkesse5318]

Hello Sharon! Thank you for your video. My check boxes are not working. Please advise. I went to Legacy in the search and used the Legacy Form Tools check box for all of the check boxes. I have only used check boxes throughout the form. I have not changed from the same Legacy check box that I copied throughout.

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! Have you restricted editing to "filling in forms" and then tested to see, and it is not allowing you to check the box? I would recommend enabling your "Developer" tab on the Ribbon if you do not already have it visible, simply right-click in your ribbon area and select "Customize the ribbon" and ensure that the "Developer" box is checked in the 2nd column under Customize the ribbon-Main tab. This adds the Developer section in your ribbon menu. From there, you'll see a section for "Controls" and you can hover over the different icons. There is a Legacy Tools drop-down with the check box option. Try adding this (should be the same thing you were using through the search tool). If this does not work, I would start over and build your form using the "check box content control" instead. (Feel free to refer to my other video on fillable forms with content control fields: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJCxmpKcn5Jka5o). I sure hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching!

[@rodrigosantos7864]

Hi Sharon great video! How do I make it so that the text changes to the format of the surrounding area? I have multiple text formats throughout the document and I need it to change accordingly

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Rodrigo, you may be able to use the Find & Replace feature in Word to accomplish what you are trying to do. Here is a video that might help a little: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npiQk6qOmddsmNU There are some advanced features when you click "More" on the Replace Tab. You can place your cursor in the "Find what" field then press More at the bottom to expand the menu. Then at the bottom you will see Replace - Format and select Font. From there you can find anything Bold, Capital, etc. and replace it with the desired formatting by using this feature. I hope this helps! Thanks for watching!

[@denisekobrin9338]

Love your videos! Would you please let me know the advantages/disadvantages of using Legacy Tools versus the Word Control tools? Also, is there a way to change the default instructional text on every field at the same time rather than individually in Design Mode for Word Controls?

[@MrVeeves]

Great video. Tell me can the background color of text form fields be changed?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi George! If using Legacy Tool form fields, you can't change the color of the form field, but you can turn the grey shading on or off. To do this, be sure your Developer tab is enabled and when you drop-down to select a Legacy Tool, select the icon that says "Form Field Shading" when you hover over it, and that will turn the grey shading off. If you are using Content Control Form Fields, you have some other coloring options in the Properties of the form fields. You can learn a bit more on my Part 2 Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJCxmpKcn5Jka5o. Hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching my videos!

[@michellerichards987]

Thank you for your wonderful videos. I followed your instructions and created a great form. However, when I click the Review tab, then Restrict Editing, click Editing Restrictions, check the box to allow only this type of editing, then filling in forms, but then I am unable to click the next section Yes, start enforcing. Any thoughts on what I might have done to stop being able to take this step?

[@hrvideo4735]

Sharon, Great video! How can I add a form field to the subject line. I want the subject line to pick up the lastname, firstname form fields.

[@imadeoyegun8210]

Thank you Sharon. I have learnt a lot from this video. However, the "Yes, start enforcing" did not come live when I clicked on it. Please can you help? Thanks.

[@ahmadhazim2923]

Hi, thanks alot for your infromation, it's really useful. However i have a problem when inserting the field. When i update the field, it didn't auto update the field, but it should be done manually to the each ref that i made. Could you tell me how to fix this?. Thank you

[@PalenzuelaL]

Hi Sharon, I just came across your video and it was super helpful and very clear. I do have a question. I want to be able to save the filled in copy of the form with another name, while still keeping the fillable form. Is that possible?

[@santaclaussssss]

Excellent video, Sharon! When I close my document and then I try to open again it gives me an error saying that the document is unreadable but it gives me the option to recover it. Why this might be happening? thanks!

[@GodIsOurProtector-s2n]

Wow you made this look so easy! Is there a way to make some of the fields mandatory fields?

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! Here is a video you may find helpful if you are using legacy form fields. This is how you can make the fields required/mandatory: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnbFmJqipMeUbqM Hope this helps! Thanks for watching!

[@johnhenry5401]

I have created a form as instructed and while in Word after saving and enabling "Filling in Forms", I have sent it as an attachment in an email. The attached form is displayed in the email, but when opened in cannot be "filled". Any ideas? I am frustrated! Thanks, John

[@aakankshmody6098]

Hi Sharon, I have a question. I added both legacy form fields along with regular drop downs and calendar formats.. I restricted editing after this. Now when I keep going through my open editable fields by pressing tab, it skips the legacy form text fields. How do I incorporate these in my tab flow. Please Help!! @Sharon

[@timroot2231]

Sharon, thanks so much. This is great! I am trying to change some already made Word forms to fillable forms, but the form still keeps changing after I implement protection. What am I doing wrong?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Tim! Be sure your form uses either (only) all legacy tool form fields or all content control form fields. You can't mix and match or user's won't be able to tab through the fields after the document is protected. I hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching my videos!

[@rodneyplenty2680]

Hi Sharon, love your tutorials. I'm building a fillable form that has collapsible sections. I want to restrict editing but still allow the user to collapse sections that are not applicable. When I restrict editing to "filling in forms" and attempt to collapse a section, it immediately expands back again. Can you guide me how to correct this behavior? Thank you in advance, Rodney

[@frankiebaker3182]

Thanks for the video. I have created a form and it works fine. But once you the send the form it becomes un-editable?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Frankie! Do you have sections of your form document that you still want users to be able to edit? Here is a video on how to do that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqTLZ4eha919eJo. I hope this helps your needs. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Take care!

[@Dahaas2003]

Excellent Video! Got the information I needed, delivered in a clear and professional manner. Thank you!

[@SharonSmith]

Glad you found it helpful, William! Thanks so much for watching!

[@botrrun9399]

Hi Sharon, what is the advantage of using legacy fields as opposed to non-legacy fields. I have watched some of the videos, but it is not clear what the disadvantage of not using legacy field is.

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! I like using Legacy Tool form fields because of what you can do with the properties. Even though Content Control fields are "newer" there are limits to what you can do with them as compared to Legacy Tool form fields. However there are newer types of fields with content controls, like the date picker, and the ability to insert a picture form field. It just depends on how complex your form needs to be. Hope this helps! Thanks for subscribing to my channel and watching my videos!

[@Ivankonermann]

So helpful, to the point, and easy to follow. Really appreciate it Sharon!

[@SharonSmith]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@abdulrahmanshuceyb3692]

thanks Ms Sharon Smith for Submitting Good sample in Creating this Form.

[@SharonSmith]

You are welcome! Thank you for watching my videos!

[@debrabergman5614]

Hi Sharon. Very good video! When you do a drop down box, can you set it to default to one answer but allow the user to change it? In order to potentially make the form filled out faster?...

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Debra! If you are using legacy tools for your drop-down box, the first drop-down item you list will be visible (kind of like a default). You could put "Please select here/below" and then place your drop-down box with the default answer option appearing first. If the user clicks in the drop-down field, they will see the other answer options and be able to select any of them. Hoping this may work for you! Thanks so much for watching my videos!! Take care!

[@desombrevillecheranad9300]

Right on! Exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[@SharonSmith]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@deborahpulford2090]

Hi Sharon, your videos are great and very clear to follow. I have a query that I wonder if you can help me with? Using plain text content control in a Word doc (not legacy tools) I would like the text to appear in one colour so the person filling in the form can easily see it and then when they complete the form for the colour to change to the same colour as the rest of the text. I know it's possible as I've inherited a document that does this but can't figure out how it's done! Any help from you or your viewers would be wonderful.

[@thereIsaidit123]

thank you are the best ! thanks for explaining how to protect and unprotect the document, other videos failed to do that !

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you! So glad you found this video helpful! I appreciate you taking time to leave a comment. Take care!

[@walterwoodruff8764]

Hi Sharon, sorry if you’ve answered this before. I was wondering if there was a way when filling in a fillable form template to move to the next part of the fillable form without moving the mouse each time. This would be really nice to save time

[@Pankaj-Verma-]

You are a superstar. Thank you so much for your kind help!

[@SharonSmith]

Thank you Pankaj! I'm so glad you found this video helpful. I have a few new videos you may also find helpful if you are interested in more videos related to creating fillable forms. Here is one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJCxmpKcn5Jka5o. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment!

[@KshawSpecial]

Thank you for this tutorial. So easy to follow! Question-I would like to post this form onto a google site for students to fill out but it seems that it is not compatible. What am I doing wrong? Thank you!

[@SharonSmith]

Hello! Yes, your users will need to open and fill in the form using MS Word in order for the form fields to work. Unfortunately opening the form in Google Docs or another application won't work. If it can be posted as a link to download in MS Word, that should work. I hope this helps! Thanks for watching my videos! Glad you found it easy to follow.

[@grethebredesen7392]

Hi Sharon, I try to set up a letterhead template and have made a fillable form for the recipient, reference number, date, etc. After this the actual content of the letter should continue and it must be possible to format the content with text styles. How do I get to this?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Grethe! Yes, you can do this by inserting sections and then you can select the section of your document to restrict and leave the rest editable. This video will show you how to do this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqTLZ4eha919eJo Hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching!

[@grethebredesen7392]

​@@SharonSmith Thank you so much Sharon! The letter template is now finished and I am both proud and relieved. I work on a Mac, so I had to go through Review> Protect Document before it worked out.

[@SharonSmith]

Glad to hear you got this to work out! Thanks for watching!

[@nancyrodgers2601]

Thank you. How do I set this document up in such a way that I can just TAB through each field. Enter the data and TAB to the next?

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Nancy! As long as you use all legacy tool form fields in your document, when you restrict the document to "filling in forms" and send to end users, they should be able to click in a field and then tab to the next form field. Thanks so much for watching!

[@yayashamara]

Great tutorial, thank you! I just have a question, can you export this to PDF and make it fillable upon opening the PDF as well? or is it just fillable in Word? Thanks a lot!

[@SharonSmith]

Hello - this is only fillable in MS Word. You can convert Word forms to PDF, but you will need Adobe Acrobat DC to edit fillable forms for PDFs. Thanks for watching!

[@brianrobertson4809]

Great tutorial! My one question is, I'm having trouble sharing my newly created fillable form. When I attach it to a gmail for my friend to fill out, he opens it but the "fillable" component does not cooperate - it won't work! Any tips?

[@eiliza08]

Thank you very much for taking the time for sharing! 🤩🥰🙋🏻‍♀️

[@SharonSmith]

You are very welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching my videos!

[@groeisterk]

awesome, the fields to be filled in appear between brackets in yellowish pastel colour. Can I change colour please

[@yin.22]

Hey, its so clear but can it be transparent?

[@SharonSmith]

Are you asking about the form field backgroud? Let me know. Thanks for watching!

[@camipalo5773]

This is awesome information. Can this be shared on google docs and maintain the fillable areas or would it have to be emailed to every person who needs to fill it out? Thanks!

[@SharonSmith]

Hi Cami, great question. The users would have to open (or download) the file in MS Word in order for the fillable form fields to work. I hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching my videos!

[@camipalo5773]

@@SharonSmith thank you

[@SharonSmith]

You are very welcome! Take care!

[@AgiSunflowerVentures]

Thanks Sharon! Easy to follow instructions!

[@SharonSmith]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@calebf.6806]

Great delivery of very useful content! Really appreciate you!

[@SharonSmith]

Thanks so much! I’m glad you found it helpful!

[@tomex73able]

Can’t thank you enough now i have a free fillable invoice fast and easy to use

[@SharonSmith]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching my videos!

[@tomex73able]

@@SharonSmith i am really struggling with calculating fields I can’t get them to auto calculate and it’s really annoying that i have to stop protection every time to open them so they calculate on exit please help me sharon

[@arshiaabbasi4920]

OMG! I love you!!! Thank you very much! I was looking for how to turn off this restrict editing!

[@SharonSmith]

Glad I could help! Thanks so much for watching my videos! 😊

[@premsanju07]

Thank You So Much. Very clear explanation. I have a very big problem after creating whole bunch of pages. When the file is unrestricted the "tab" key just works fine and navigates to all the Plain Text and Check Box tabs. But when I restrict the file, Tab key works only til the Plain text box once it reaches the check box tab it jumps to inappropriate check box and tab key doesn't works After that. I checked the Proofing option it's set correctly. Could you Please Help.

[@sweetbahamapt]

Thank you so much for these videos. The instruction and visuals are clear and concise. One question I have. I am testing the fillable areas but I cannot see the text. Appears the font size is extremely small even though my original setting font is not.

[@SharonSmith]

Hello, glad you found my videos helpful! I would recommend stopping protection on your form and then selecting your form field and re-applying a font size format and then test to ensure it is working. You should be able to format the font size if you are using Legacy Tool form fields. I hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching!