Automatically format a date with dashes during typing

Hi @angelica_5902,

That’s a great question — thank you for reaching out! 
@PDF Automation Station has pointed you in the right direction.

If you want to take the JavaScript route.

Here’s a sample script you can try in the Custom Keystroke Script:

if (!event.willCommit) {
    // Only allow digits
    event.change = event.change.replace(/\D/g, "");
    var v = event.value + event.change;

    // Limit to 8 digits
    v = v.substring(0, 8);

    // Insert slashes automatically
    if (v.length > 2) v = v.substring(0,2) + "/" + v.substring(2);
    if (v.length > 5) v = v.substring(0,5) + "/" + v.substring(5);

    event.rc = true;
    event.value = v;
}

A couple of tips:

• Place this code in the Custom Keystroke Script for the date field (Properties > Format > Custom).

• You may still want to add a validation script to check that the final date is valid (for example, not 02/30/2025).

• Acrobat JavaScript runs in a sandboxed way, so testing step by step (typing slowly) helps you debug.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Adobe does not provide official support for custom JavaScript in PDFs. The script above is a community-suggested approach and represents the best possible support we can provide here in the forums.

Since you mentioned you’re a novice with Acrobat JavaScript, don’t worry. Experimenting with these small snippets is the best way to learn!

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team | Meet Acrobat Studio