Online PDF tool

Flatten PDF forms and annotations online

Convert interactive fields and annotations into fixed page content so the document is less likely to change when opened elsewhere.

Open Flatten PDFFree vs Premium

Nothing to install, and your first eligible task finishes before you sign in. TapScanner has 100M+ mobile downloads

Drop your PDF here

Drag a file in, or choose one — it opens in the workspace below, already loaded.

PDF, up to 20 MB. Larger files still work — add them in the workspace itself.

What you get

A stable PDF copy with interactive elements fixed into pages

Flatten supported form values and annotations when the receiving workflow needs them to appear as non-interactive page content.

  • Fix form values into the page
  • Flatten annotations
  • Create a stable sharing copy

See the workflow before you start

Flatten PDF: from your file to a checked result

Flatten supported form values and annotations when the receiving workflow needs them to appear as non-interactive page content. The three decisions below show what to provide, what to configure, and what to verify before you share the output.

Plan the job

Prepare and verify Flatten PDF

A quick source check prevents avoidable rework. After processing, open the output and verify the details that matter for this specific PDF task.

Before processing

Keep an editable original and identify forms, annotations, layers, signatures, and links whose interactivity may be changed or removed by flattening.

Before relying on the result

Open the flattened copy in another viewer, compare its appearance page by page, and test text, links, signatures, form values, printing, and accessibility needs.

How it works

How to use Flatten PDF in three steps

  1. Select the PDF with interactive content.

  2. Choose the available flattening options.

  3. Flatten and download the fixed PDF.

Complete the job

Flatten PDF from upload to a checked result

Follow the whole path before you start: choose the source, set the job, run the workspace, verify the output, and continue only when the result is right for its next use.

  1. Choose the source

  2. Configure the job

  3. Run the tool

  4. Check the result

  5. Continue

After processing

Review, download, and continue after Flatten PDF

A completed result still deserves a quick check. Keep the original, inspect the output type and contents, and decide what should happen next before you share it.

Output to verify

Result type: PDF output

Flatten supported form values and annotations when the receiving workflow needs them to appear as non-interactive page content.

Check page order, orientation, text, permissions, and any visible signatures before sharing the PDF.

  1. Review the output

    Check page order, text, orientation, and the number of files in the workspace before sending anything.

  2. Download your copy

    Use the workspace Download action after the result is ready. A browser handoff does not prove that a file was saved to disk.

  3. Delete now when offered

    If this workspace offers Delete now, use it after downloading. Availability depends on the tool and current result path.

  4. Continue with the next task

    Keep the source until you have verified the result, then move to a related PDF task or return to the tools catalog.

Open Flatten PDFNext: Fill PDF Forms

Practical example

Create a fixed copy of a completed form

Starting point

A filled PDF form must be submitted to a system that does not reliably display interactive field values.

Result to check

Flatten the completed document, verify that every value remains visible, and keep the editable original for future changes.

Premium and Flatten PDF

When Flatten PDF needs more than Free

Free covers three completed jobs a day, 25 files, 100 MB, and 500 pages per task. Premium raises those limits and adds OCR, existing-text editing, repair, compare, forms, and automation.

Usually next: Keep the result and move straight into the next tool without re-uploading.

See Premium plans and pricesCompare against Free

Paddle shows the exact amount, taxes, renewal date, and any eligible trial before you confirm. Stop future renewals yourself from your TapScanner billing account.

  • OCR that makes scans searchable and selectable
  • Editing the text that already exists in a PDF
  • Repair for files that refuse to open
  • Compare two revisions and see what changed
  • Up to 100 files and 1 GB in one task, no page cap
  • No daily job cap, subject to fair-use protection

Work with confidence

Clear limits and an output you can review

Know the access level

The first eligible task can be completed before login. Current file, page, and usage limits are shown in the workspace.

Keep document data out of analytics

TapScanner web's application data layer rejects filenames and document contents. Published analytics destinations require separate configuration verification.

Temporary storage during processing

Hosted processing paths may use temporary files. In the pinned core's normal download path, the output file is removed when the stream closes; scheduled cleanup covers stale temporary files.

Hosted processing

Web tools may send files to TapScanner's hosted processing service. We do not currently offer a customer-selectable processing region, so do not assume processing stays on your device or in a particular country.

Delete when offered

Delete-now is available only when a result screen explicitly offers it; it is not yet supported by every web tool.

Check the finished file

Open the downloaded result and verify important pages, values, formatting, and permissions before relying on it.

Review TapScanner's evidence-backed Trust Center

Compare PDF tools

Choose between Flatten PDF and the next likely tools

Match the tool to the result you need now. The current choice is shown first, followed by three focused alternatives for a different document outcome.

Before you start

Not sure this is the right job?

Questions

Flatten PDF FAQ

Can I use Flatten PDF for free?

Yes. Your first eligible task can be completed before login. TapScanner shows the current file, page, and daily limits before processing.

Can I edit form fields after flattening?

Flattening is intended to make interactive elements fixed. Keep the original unflattened PDF if you may need to edit those fields later.

Do I need to install software for Flatten PDF?

No. TapScanner runs in a modern web browser, so you can upload, process, and download the result without installing desktop software.

Ready to use Flatten PDF?

Add your file and finish the job. The limits that apply are shown before processing starts, not after it fails.

Open Flatten PDF