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revigas_3732
Participant
September 15, 2025
Answered

Issue with checkboxes and radio buttons using text tags in PDF form fields

  • September 15, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 237 views

I’m working with text tags in Adobe Sign and I’ve noticed different behavior depending on the field type and the source of the document:

When the document comes from Word with text tags in the text (for example {{field_:checkbox}} or {{group_:radio:option}}), Adobe Sign correctly recognizes checkboxes and radio buttons. When I start from a PDF with form fields created in Acrobat (Prepare Form) and I only set the field name with the syntax (e.g. field_:checkbox or group_:radio:option), Adobe Sign does not recognize checkboxes or radio buttons.For text fields and drop-down lists, it does work, even if I create them as form fields in the PDF and just use the syntax in the field name.

My question is:
Is this a known limitation, that PDF form fields do not support text tag syntax for checkboxes and radio buttons?
Is there any way to make Adobe Sign interpret them the same way as it does when they come from Word, or is the only option to use text tags directly in the text before generating the PDF?

Thanks a lot for your help!

 
 
 
Correct answer Meenakshi Negi

Hi revigas_3732,

 

Thank you for reaching out.

 

When creating a PDF form or adding form fields in Acrobat, please confirm whether you are using the Acrobat Sign form option.

Please share your steps and what happens when using that form in Acrobat Sign. It would be helpful if you could share the screen recording so we can check it.  

 

Please also refer to the information in the following help document: https://adobe.ly/3JWNktA. 

Check if that helps.

 

Thanks,

Meenakshi

1 reply

Meenakshi Negi
Community Manager
Meenakshi NegiCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
September 15, 2025

Hi revigas_3732,

 

Thank you for reaching out.

 

When creating a PDF form or adding form fields in Acrobat, please confirm whether you are using the Acrobat Sign form option.

Please share your steps and what happens when using that form in Acrobat Sign. It would be helpful if you could share the screen recording so we can check it.  

 

Please also refer to the information in the following help document: https://adobe.ly/3JWNktA. 

Check if that helps.

 

Thanks,

Meenakshi

R
revigas_3732Author
Participant
September 16, 2025

Hi Meenakshi,

Thanks a lot for your clear response and for sharing the documentation link — that really helped me.

My confusion came from the difference between using text tags in Word (where checkboxes and radio buttons work as described) versus creating a draft in Acrobat and uploading it to Adobe Sign. I was trying to name text fields in Acrobat with the same prompts from Word (without the curly braces), which worked for text fields and dropdowns but not for checkboxes or radio buttons. Later I realized Adobe Sign already recognizes the field type, and text tags are just for adding extra info. I am still new to this program, so I may keep asking things that later turn out to be obvious, but your explanation and attention, all the documentation you can shere would be sincerely appreciated. thank you so much

 

 

Meenakshi Negi
Community Manager
Meenakshi NegiCommunity Manager
Community Manager
September 16, 2025

Hi revigas_3732,

 

You are welcome! Glad to know that the information helped.

Please feel free to let us know if you need any help.

 

Thanks,

Meenakshi

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