Problem with field form tags

[riccardo_apotema]

Hi all.

I have a problem with manually applied tags to form fields in a PDF (xxxxx - objr).

Once assigned (see screen 1), if for some reason I have to edit the page and replace it in the PDF, the tags assigned to the form fields are lost (see screen 2).

Even if I copy and paste them into a new PDF, only the ones exported from InDesign are preserved, but the ones from the Acrobat form fields disappear...

Does anyone know how I can "transport" them without having to manually reassign them each time? Thanks!

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @riccardo_apotema

Thank you for reaching out, and sorry for the troubled experience. There are a number of variables at play for this issue. Please wait for more inputs from experts on this topic. Following are my generic suggestions you can take into account: 

Suggested Steps to Fix or Work Around the Issue:

1. Use “Prepare Form” First, Then Tag the PDF:

• Create and finalize all your form fields using Tools > Prepare Form.

• After all fields are in place, use View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags to access the Tags tree.

• Manually adjust the tag names and structure as needed — Acrobat won’t auto-retag at this stage unless triggered.

2. Avoid Auto-Tagging After Manual Edits:

• If you’ve already manually edited tags, avoid running “Autotag Document” again. This will overwrite your custom changes.

• Instead, edit tags directly in the Tags panel, using right-click > Properties to rename or adjust roles.

3. Use Accessibility Checker Carefully:

• When using the Accessibility Checker, Acrobat may try to “fix” issues automatically, sometimes re-tagging form fields.

• Choose Manual Fix wherever possible when dealing with form fields.

4. Check for Duplicate Annotations:

• If tag names are duplicated, it could be because multiple form fields share the same object reference (common after copying fields). Check for duplicates in the Tags and Forms panels.

~Tariq

[riccardo_apotema]

Hi Tariq, thanks for your feedback.
Unfortunately the topic is not about naming tags.
Let me explain better:
1. I make a document with indd and I already assign the tag to the style sheets used.
2. I export the pdf from indd.
3. Acrobat recognizes the tags imported from indd.
4. I create the form fields in Acrobat
5. I manually assign tags to the form fields in Acrobat, to obtain a WCAG AA accessible pdf
But, if I have to correct a text in the indd source document, then I repeat operations 1 to 3.
Then I replace the pages in the old pdf with the fields tagged with the new pdf that I corrected.
At this point the form fields lose the tag that I manually assigned to the first pdf.
What I'm trying to solve is how to keep the manual tags that I applied to the form fields.
I hope I explained myself better and that you have a suggestion to solve this problem...
Thanks!

[try67]

Try exporting a "static" version of the file from InDesign, without any form fields.
Then open the old file in Acrobat and use the Replace Pages command to replace the underlying pages with those from the new file. This will keep all of your fields intact, and hopefully their tags, too. Then you just need to adjust them so that they match the new layout, but won't need to re-do all the tagging.

[riccardo_apotema]

Hi Try67, thanks for your feedback.
What you suggest is what I already do...
Unfortunately, this way the tags of the form fields are lost.
I also tried to add a page to the pdf, leaving also the one I have to replace and then I tried to copy/paste the tagged form fields, but even in this case the manual tags disappear!

Ciao, Riccardo

[try67]

That's a bummer. I don't know of other ways to preserve this information, I'm afraid. It can't be exported, or imported, using a script. Maybe someone else has another idea for you...

[riccardo_apotema]

I really hope so... I have to make a few dozen files, and the idea of ​​having to redo them all manually every time there are small changes to the text, even with the risk of making mistakes, depresses me.
Thanks anyway!