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Form builder

Build a subscription or sign-up form

A subscription form signs people up to keep hearing from you: a newsletter, a members' mailing list, product updates or a printed catalog. The essentials are short: an email or postal address, what they want to receive, and a record of their consent.

Build this formStart from a template

Reviewed

Subscription form
  • Email address (email field with format check, required)
  • First name (name field, optional)
  • Topics or lists (checkboxes)
  • Frequency preference (radio buttons: weekly, monthly)
  • Postal address with state and ZIP (shown only for printed mailings)
  • Consent to receive messages (checkbox, required, not pre-ticked)

Why it works

Subscription form, explained

PDFBetter collects the sign-ups; it doesn't send newsletters or manage unsubscribes. Export the responses as CSV or XLSX and import them into the email platform or member system that does. Many of those platforms send a confirmation email (double opt-in) on import, which is good practice.

Keep the consent wording specific. Say what people will receive and how often, and don't pre-tick the box. In the EU and UK, marketing consent must be freely given and unbundled; in the US, CAN-SPAM requires an unsubscribe option in every message you send.

Recommended fields

Fields to include

  1. 1Email address (email field with format check, required)
  2. 2First name (name field, optional)
  3. 3Topics or lists (checkboxes)
  4. 4Frequency preference (radio buttons: weekly, monthly)
  5. 5Postal address with state and ZIP (shown only for printed mailings)
  6. 6Consent to receive messages (checkbox, required, not pre-ticked)

How to do it

Build a subscription or sign-up form in 4 steps

  1. 1A flat PDF

  2. 2Place fields

  3. 3A fillable PDF

  1. 1

    Build the form

    Add the email and consent fields first, then only the preferences you will actually use to segment your list.

  2. 2

    Publish it

    Embed it on your website, link it from social profiles, or put the QR code on printed materials and at events.

  3. 3

    Collect sign-ups

    Visitors subscribe in a browser without an account. A bot check runs on every submission to keep fake sign-ups down.

  4. 4

    Export and import

    Export to CSV or XLSX and import into your email platform, keeping the submission date as your consent record.

In the app

What building it looks like

Create form mode: a palette of field types on the left (signature, text, date, initials, checkbox, radio, dropdown, number, formula) and the invoice's fields outlined in blue on the page
  1. Pick a field type, then click the page — or drag it
  2. Detect fields finds the boxes and lines on a flat PDF
  3. Every field keeps a label, a name and its own rules

The editor in Create form mode. Sample content; names and companies are fictional.

Start from a template

Templates that fit

Subscription form: questions people ask

Does PDFBetter send the newsletter?

No. It collects sign-ups. Import the export into your email platform to send messages and handle unsubscribes.

Can I take paid subscriptions?

Not through the form; PDFBetter forms don't process payments. Collect the sign-up here and send people to your payment processor's checkout link.

Is there a live sync to my email platform?

There's no built-in connector. Export CSV or XLSX, or use the API and webhooks included in the Business plan.

How do I prove someone consented?

Keep the export with the submission date and the exact consent wording that was on the form at that time.