Fill a PDF Form from a CSV File
Fillable turns rows in a CSV file into completed PDF forms without retyping anything. Upload a comma-separated values file and a fillable PDF, and the tool reads the first row as column headers, compares them with the field names inside the PDF, and lines up each row with its matching field. Quoted fields, embedded commas, and semicolon- or tab-delimited exports are all handled. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
How Quoted Fields and Embedded Commas Are Handled
A value containing a comma, such as "Main Street, Suite B, Portland", must be wrapped in double quotes so it is not split into two columns. Fillable follows that convention: a quoted field stays one value even when it holds commas, line breaks, or doubled quotes standing in for a quote mark.
Detecting Semicolon- and Tab-Delimited Files
Not every export uses commas. Spreadsheet programs in locales where the comma is a decimal point usually write semicolons, and some tools produce tab-separated .tsv or .txt files. Fillable reads the first line and picks whichever of comma, semicolon, or tab appears most often outside quotes, so those files upload as-is.
Unicode Encoding and the Byte-Order Mark
Fillable expects UTF-8 text, the encoding that covers accented letters and other characters. Excel on Windows may save a UTF-8 CSV with a BOM (byte order mark), invisible leading bytes that can leave stray characters in the first header cell. Fillable strips the BOM before matching; if stray characters remain, re-save or export the file as UTF-8 without a BOM.
Why One Header Row Is Required
Fillable reads the first row as column headers, the labels it compares against the PDF’s field names, and every row below as data. A file that starts straight into data loses its first record to the header row, so add a header row before uploading. Only one header row is supported; extra rows above it count as data.
Questions
Does my CSV file have to be comma-delimited?
No. Fillable detects whether commas, semicolons, or tabs separate the columns, so semicolon exports and tab-separated .tsv or .txt files load correctly.
What happens if a value in my CSV contains a comma?
If the value is wrapped in double quotes, which spreadsheet programs do automatically, Fillable reads it as one field rather than two.
My CSV shows strange characters after uploading, what’s wrong?
The file was probably saved in an encoding other than Unicode. Re-export it as Unicode text from the program that created it.
Can I use a CSV exported from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Both produce valid CSV files, and Fillable handles the delimiter and encoding either one writes, including Excel’s byte-order mark.
Is my CSV file uploaded to a server?
No. Fillable reads the CSV and the PDF entirely in your browser, and the filled forms are generated on your device.
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