Form Fields with same name are merging and I don't want them to. Please help. [2019]

[amandas723]

I am using the Organize Pages feature in Acrobat DC to add additional documents to an existing PDF. When organizing pages, I am getting a pop up that says "Any form fields that have the same name in the merged documents are now merged into one field. If you want the values in these fields to be unique, then you need to create a PDF portfolio." After reviewing the document, I see that several of the pages have changed the data to match what is on one of the first pages. I would like all the pages to remain as they are.

I just want to put several unique PDFs that all have unique names as well as unique data, into one PDF.

Please help me. Thank you.

[TᴀW]

If form fields have the same name, they have the same value.

To make them all unique, give them each a different name.

[gkaiseril]

You will have to use a form template and JavaScript to bring the fata extracted from the form into you new nig PDF and sfd a mew page fo the next form data.

Or, you could move all of the forms into a tan delimited file and then import each row into a new spawned page.

[SMLewis · Accepted solution]

I discovered this change as well. I found a suggestion somewhere else that said you can flatten the fields on the forms and then you're able to combine them into one pdf file without the fields merging. To flatten the fields, you have to use PDF Optimizer. Go to: File > Save as Other > PDF Optimizer. When it opens up, select Discard Objects in the left-hand column, check “Flatten form fields”, and click OK.

I tried this on two forms that I needed to combine into one file and it no longer merged the form fields together.

[Traci5FC3]

What if you wanted everything to duplicate but two fields?

[Lyndsey5DE7]

Thanks so much! I was looking for this fix forever and this worked for me. 

[srux]

thank you so much for sharing this, saved me lots of headache.

was finally able to bypass all the garbled text and images when trying to combine pdfs. cheers

[Eden2276582105jv]

thank youuuuuuu

[Ashley22932768aqfy]

I just got a new job I think I spent over an hour and taking a break because I was so frustrated with this!

I just tried what you said and BOOM, worked.

Thank you so much for your help!

-Ashley

[Linyan5C1A]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, I had to file by a certain time and I was panicking not knowing what to do, and your comment worked, you saved my life!

[DM198]

Thanks this works.  An hour of frustration is over!

[JCino]

Thank you so much for this solution, truly saved my day and many ahead. As others described, the problem was incredibly frustrating. Cheers. 

[JR Boulay]

If you want to store PDF forms, merge them in a PDF Portfolio.

The fields with the same names and their data will remain untouched.

If you want to store their data, go to : "Prepare Form" : "More" menu : "Merge Data Files into Spreesheet"

[Charles24616657hten]

Another "fix" you can do. Before you combine open them all in a browser. Got into each pdf and hit print and then overwrite the orignial. The pdf document will no longer be writeable and the data is locked in. After that you can combine away as there are no more field names left.

[aguilayserpiente]

Nyet, there are potentially two options that actually work:

1.  upload your forms to an online pdf unlocker like I love pdf and then joint the unlocked pdfs as you would have originally.

2.  Alternatively, use a pdf printing program like DoPDF to "flatten," i.e. make the files uneditable by pressing print to PDF, saving into your folder, and then and then join the "flattened" pdfs as you would have originally.

Also, an ease of use pdf merging program is PDF tools 1.3, Sheel Khanna, 2006.  Respectfully, the Adobe engineers left everyone hanging with this problem.  Hell, I'm a literature major.  To paraphrase Star Trek's Dr. McCoy, when he time traveled to the 20th century, upon observing the state of medical science, "we're dealing with midievalism here."