Flatten PDF

Merge form fields and annotations into the page content.

or drop PDF here

Runs in your browser when possible; falls back to secure server processing.

Bake the contents of a PDF's form fields into the page, so the document looks identical but can no longer be edited or tampered with. Flatten PDF is the step to take before sending a completed form: the values stop being live fields and become part of the page, exactly as a printed sheet would be. Nothing is uploaded, and the visual result is unchanged.

How to use Flatten PDF

Click "Select PDF file" and choose the filled form.
Click "Flatten PDF" and wait while the fields are baked in.
Download the result and click a former field to confirm it no longer accepts edits.

Who it is for

Flatten PDF is the step before sending a completed form. Once a form has been filled, its values are still editable by anyone who opens it — flattening bakes them into the page so the document looks identical but cannot be altered. It is what turns a filled form into a record: a signed tenancy application, a tax form, a medical questionnaire, a job application.

How it works

The interactive form objects are replaced by their visible appearance on the page, so there are no fields left to type in, clear or replace.
The rendering is unchanged, so the flattened document looks exactly like the one you started with.
A file with no form fields comes back effectively unchanged rather than erroring, because there was nothing to flatten.

What it cannot do

It targets form fields only. Marks added by Annotate PDF or a signature placed by Sign PDF are already drawn into the page and are unaffected.
Flattening is one-way in the output — the fields are gone. Keep the original if you may need to edit the values again.
A form should be filled before it is flattened; after flattening there is nowhere to type.
If the form was drawn as plain text rather than as real fields, it was never editable and nothing changes.

Frequently asked questions

What does flattening actually change?

The interactive form objects are replaced by their visible appearance on the page. Everything looks the same, but there are no fields left to type in, clear or replace — which is what stops a recipient altering a value after you send it.

Will the document still look the same?

Yes, that is the point. Flattening changes how the content is stored, not how it renders, so a printed or on-screen copy is identical to the one you started with.

What happens if the PDF has no form fields?

There is nothing to flatten, and the file comes back effectively unchanged. That is not an error — if the form was drawn as plain text rather than as real fields, it was never editable in the first place.

Does flattening remove annotations or signatures?

It targets form fields. Marks made with Annotate PDF or a signature placed by Sign PDF are drawn into the page already, so they are unaffected and remain visible.

Is my form uploaded?

No. The document is rewritten in your browser, so a completed tax form or a medical questionnaire never leaves your device.