You sent out a fillable form, 50 people filled it in, 50 PDFs came back. Re-typing the data into a spreadsheet would be a full day's work.
Form fields carry data. With the right step, that data exits the PDFs as a CSV ready for analysis.
Make sure field names are clean
Form data is exported by field name. If your fields are named "untitled_field_1", "untitled_field_2", the CSV will be useless.
Name fields meaningfully when you build the form: `first_name`, `email`, `date_of_birth`. Clean field names produce a clean spreadsheet.
Export from each filled form
Open a filled form in Flint's editor. Use the Export Form Data option. You get a CSV with one row per form, columns matching the field names.
For a batch of 50 filled forms, export each one and combine the CSVs in a spreadsheet tool.
Batch processing
For larger batches, scripts using `pdftk dump_data_fields` (Linux/Mac) or command-line tools extract data from many PDFs at once.
Result: one CSV with all responses. Drop into Excel or Google Sheets for analysis.
FAQ
Does this work for checkbox and radio fields?
Yes. Checkbox values export as Yes/No or true/false. Radio buttons export the selected value name.
What about signature fields?
Signature data exports as a flag (signed/not signed). The actual signature image stays in the PDF.
Can I import data back into a blank form?
Yes — XFDF and FDF data files can be imported into matching forms. Useful for pre-filling forms from a database.
Why are my exported values blank?
Usually means the form fields weren't actually fillable, or the user filled them with overlay text instead. Test the form before sending.
Form data shouldn't have to be re-typed. Export from Flint's editor and your CSV is ready for analysis.