Choose field attributes in this generator to create plain text Adobe Acrobat Sign® tags that are tested for compatibility with Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
View the Detailed Guide to InDesign+Adobe Acrobat Sign Text Tagging, below, to get InDesign-specific field setup steps and best practices for each field type.
InDesign compatibility with Adobe Sign is not recorded in Adobe Acrobat Sign's text tag documentation. I aim to make this the premier tagging tool for InDesign+Adobe Acrobat Sign form developers. Tap into this secret knowledge and wow your form users! (Seriously.)
Looking for Microsoft Word+Adobe Acrobat Sign Tagging? It's different!
Tip: Use CTRL-F (Windows) or CMD-F (Mac) to search this page for keywords.
Generate or write your field's text tag, then:
To activate the Adobe Sign features:
*If you are using an older version of Adobe Acrobat Pro, the "Prepare form for e-signing" option will be under the More button at the top of the Prepare Form field hierarchy on the right (positioned immediately below the object alignment section).
You can access the Adobe Acrobat Sign system in two ways:
I continuously test Adobe Sign tags in InDesign for compatibilities. You can see a list of my most recent discoveries on my
Change Log page.
Adobe is pushing out new features all the time! Here's a great page to see what's coming next for Adobe Acrobat and the signing experience:
Colors in the is graphic are coordinated with the guidance, below.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
To make a field required, put an asterisk (*) at the very front of the tag.
Example:
*fieldName_es_:signer1:phone
This is a required phone field assigned to Signer 1.
Note: Signature and initials fields are automatically required (unless they include "opt" in the field name). Don't add an asterisk to these fields; it can cause glitches.
Locations: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules OR *fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:readonly
There are two ways to make a field readonly:
Method 1 does not let ANYONE modify the field, including the sender.
Example:
!fieldName_es_:checkbox
This is a readonly checkbox that cannot be filled by anyone.
Method 2 allows the sender/prefiller to modify the field before sending, then marks the field as readonly for the signers.
Example:
fieldName_es_:prefill:checkbox:readonly
This is a readonly checkbox that can be filled by the prefiller or sender, but will be readonly for all signers.
Note: You can merge data into readonly fields using Acrobat Sign APIs or the Send in Bulk via CSV feature before the document is sent for signatures.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
You can name a field whatever you want; just don't include any spaces or special characters (purely alphanumeric).
As a field naming best practice, I recommend using camel case (likeSoAndThus), but it is not a requirement.
Give each field a unique name to remember what the field is for. Use shared field names to link fields of the same name together.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
This is a required element that tells Adobe Sign the text tag is an interactive field.
"ES" stands for "EchoSign". EchoSign is the name of the company that Adobe bought up and rebranded as Adobe Sign. It's former name still lives on in the tags, though!
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
The role defines who is assigned to fill out a field. Here are the possible roles:
The :prefiller role can fill out the form before they send it out for the signatures of other signers. There can be only one prefiller.
Similar to the :prefill role, the :sender role can fill out the form before they send it out for the signatures of other signers - but they also must sign the document at the beginning or end of the signing process.
This role only works if the "I need to sign First/Last” option is chosen while setting up the signature request. There can be only one sender.
The :formfiller role only fills in assigned fields; they do not sign the form. You can have multiple sequential formfillers (formfiller1, formfiller2, formfiller3, etc.).
The :signer role fills in assigned fields and also signs the form. You can have multiple sequential signers (signer1, signer2, signer3, etc.).
The :approver role reviews the form and approves. Approvers are not required to have a signature field on the form. You can have multiple sequential approvers (approver1, approver2, etc.)
The :anyone role permits anyone to fill in a field. The first person to fill out an anyone field locks in the response. After an :anyone field is filled by someone, no one else can change it.
The :everyone role is unique to the :link field option. It forces each person to click the link and open it in another tab before they are allowed to submit the filled form.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Automatically required. Captures the signer's full first and last name and date signed.
Alert: This field type is NOT compatible with InDesign's signature field type.
You MUST use a plain text field with this tag.
This is an optional version of the signature field. A signer can skip this signature if desired.
Alert: This field type is NOT compatible with InDesign's signature field type. You MUST use a plain text field with this tag.
Not currently compatible with InDesign (as of June 2025). This is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation. Tested with both text field and signature field types in InDesign.
Automatically required. Captures the signer's initials and date signed.
Not currently compatible with InDesign (as of June 2025). This is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation.
Includes all of the :signature information, plus email address.
Alert: If your oranization has enabled either of these preferences, then this block field will also display the user-entered title and company fields:
An optional user-uploaded stamp image. Becomes required if no other signature fields have been assigned to the stamping user.
Note:
:stamp does not work on its own.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
A validated field that appears in the :signatureblock, if entered.
A readonly field that automatically records the signing date.
Note: Adobe Sign does not yet have a "date picker" field type.
A readonly field populated automatically based on the signer's typed first and last name when they complete the :signature or :signatureblock fields.
A readonly field populated automatically based on the signer's typed first name when they complete the :signature or :signatureblock fields.
A readonly field populated automatically based on the signer's typed last name when they complete the :signature or :signatureblock fields.
A field whose value appears in the :signatureblock, if entered.
A field whose value appears in the :signatureblock, if entered.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
If no field type is included, the default field type is a simple one-line text field. For example:
fieldName_es_:signer1
This is a simple text field assigned to signer1. Note that no field type has been defined in the tag.
This field type permits multiple lines, based on the size of the field you draw in InDesign.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Permits US and UK currency formats, including prefixes and commas:
Warns the user when they enter an invalid email address pattern.
Permits you to set a user-entered date with popup alert if they don't enter the date in your designated pattern.
Example:
nameMe_es_:prefill:isdate(format=dd/mm/yy)
Permits US phone numbers formats (5555555555, 555-555-5555, (555) 555-5555, etc.).
Permits UK phone number formats.
Permits social security number patters 123456789 and 123-45-6789.
Permits 5-digit (12345) US ZIP codes.
Permits US ZIP codes with the additional 4-digit delivery code (12345-6789).
Limits user input to numerical characters (numbers only).
Limits user input to a number range (<, <=, >,>=, or a combination the highest and lowest permitted numbers in the range). Examples:
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Attention: Each text tag can only include on validation directive. One the first validation rule will be applied, if more than one is added to a text tag (additional ones will be ignored).
You can write your own custom RegEx validations, too! In this example from Adobe's text tagging guide, the regular expression requires three characters to be entered in a row.
In this example (also from Adobe's text tagging guide), the same RegEx runs and if the criteria are not met, a custom message is displayed ("Not a match for three characters in a row!").
Adobe recommends this website as a helpful reference for the syntax of regular expressions that are compatible with Adobe Sign.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Adds an unchecked checkbox.
Not currently compatible with InDesign (as of June 2025). This is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation. You can, however, simply pre-check the desired checkbox in the Buttons and Forms panel, by switching the button appearance to [Normal On] and/or check "Selected by default" in the Buttons and Forms panel.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Unlike Word text tags, you cannot name each individual radio button option via the text tag. The differences in field name will break the group into individual radio options because Acrobat Pro requires radio buttons to have a shared, identical group name. This is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation.
When you generate the radio button group tag for InDesign, use the exact same text tag to name every button in the group.
Individual radio option settings are set in InDesign's Buttons and Forms panel:
Note: InDesign, there is no way to set the default selection via tag as of June 2025. You can, however, simply pre-check the desired radio button in the Buttons and Forms panel, by switching the button appearance to [Normal On] and/or check "Selected by default" in the Buttons and Forms panel.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Creates a multi-option dropdown menu.
Note: You must use the Combo Field type in InDesign (this tag is not compatible with List Fields, and this is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation.)
Individual dropdown options are set in InDesign's Buttons and Forms panel:
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
This tag creates a file upload button that supports the following file types:
Note: Make sure to test this feature; it should support the listed file types and permit files up to 25mb in size, but the results are a little unpredictable. For instance, a photo uploaded from a smartphone might be rejected.
Accessibility warning: This button is not visible to screenreading software, so it's basically invisible to your visually impaired users. Consider your audience's needs before using this tag.
This tag creates a button to take a photo or upload a picture that displays inline in the form (example: Driver’s license). The form sender can download image after the signature workflow is complete.
In InDesign, apply this tag to a text field. The dimentions of the text field area will define the size of the space where the image appears.
Issue: If the image is dimensions do not match your anticipated image upload dimensions, the uploaded images may display with distortion (squished horizontally or vertically).
Solution: Test this feature with both iPhone and Android phone cameras to make sure uploaded images don’t get vertically distorted by the field's dimensions.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
This tag creates a clickable link you can require your participants to view before they submit the form.
To require an individual participant to click it before they can submit the form, assign it to their role (e.g., signer1).
To require everyone to click it before they can submit the form, assign it to the unique role :everyone. This role only works with the :link tag.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
You can have Adobe Sign automatically capture the transaction ID in the form when signing is complete, if that unique identifier is useful to you. This is a readonly field type.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Makes the field automatically repeat in the exact same spot on each page thereafter. When the field is filled, all other repeat instances are also filled.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Use this rule to limit the number of alphanumeric characters a user can enter into a text field (alphanumeric is the default).
Use this rule to limit the number of alpha-only characters a user can enter into a text field.
Use this rule to limit the number of numeric-only characters a user can enter into a text field.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
Add this rule to any text field to set the default value. You can put the default value in single or double quotes - it doesn't matter.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
You can set the font, the color, and the size of your field values. (Note: I have only tested this with single and multiline text fields; it may also work with other field types.)
Example:
nameMe_es_:signer1:font(name=Arial, color=#000000, size=12)
This text field is completed by Signer1, and the value's font is Arial, color is black, size is 12pt.
Supported fonts:
Supported colors:
Size is entered in points (i.e., 14pt)
This feature has not been added to the tag generator yet.
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
I have yet to test this tag type in InDesign. I'm working on it, though!
Location: *!fieldName_es_:role:fieldType:rules
I have yet to test this tag type in InDesign. I'm working on it, though!
I have yet to test these features in InDesign. I'm working on it, though!
The following text tags appear in Adobe's documentation, but they are not supported in InDesign PDFs (and this incompatibility is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation):
Note: Even though these tags don't work in InDesign, they likely still work as text tags in Microsoft Word.
I have also confirmed you cannot use bracketed text tagging AND interactive InDesign fields in the same document. Adobe Acrobat Sign will ignore the bracketed text tags if interactive InDesign fields are present in a form (this is not recorded in Adobe Sign's documentation). You must use one or the other.
AI is great at hallucinating imaginary Adobe Sign tags. Here are a few that I've tested and ruled out:
Adobe Sign tags are robust when used the way they were intended: As raw text tags in documents (such as those made in Word). The fuller range of text tags is available in Adobe's official guide:
https://helpx.adobe.com/sign/using/text-tag.html
Reminder: Many of these tags do not work in InDesign. That's why my guide exists; to save you the trouble of retesting everything I've already tested, ony to discover it doesn't work in the way you expected or needed.
If you discover a tag that works in InDesign that I did not list in my guide, please let me know! Adobe may improve the overlap between their products in the future, and I am eager to keep things up-to-date. Thanks! :)
Adobe Sign's interface is somewhat accessible for your signers IF you have followed InDesign accessibility best practices to produce the PDF.
However.
As of my testing in June 2025, the final signed PDF's user-entered values are not tagged. This means your visually impaired signers will not be able to read their own form values in their signed form, using screenreading software. If you expect your signers to use assistive technology and/or you are a state or federal government agency, this is critical.
For a truly equitable experience, all users should be able to read what they signed, in full, after signing is complete.
Adobe documents this discrepancy here:
"Note: Acrobat Sign can not create an accessible PDF from a source document that is not already accessible. Acrobat Sign only ensures that existing tagging is preserved and that any content entered into a form field is tagged appropriately. It's beyond the scope of Acrobat Sign to produce a tagged document from a source document that isn't tagged when uploaded."
However, Adobe's own InDesign product does not provide a way to tag user-entered values during design or export. User-entered text is, by nature, added by the Adobe Sign system AFTER the PDF is filled and signed via Adobe Sign features, so there is no current workaround. (If you find one, let me know.)
I sincerely hope Adobe is able to fix Adobe Acrobat Sign's PDF output process in time for the oncoming 2026 federal WCAG 2.1 mandate for state and federal governments. In the meantime, this is a critical consideration when you are choosing which signing solution to use with your audience.
I will update if/when this issue is resolved.
Last updated July 16, 2025.
Disclaimer: FormSkills.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, Adobe, or their products. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Content is for educational purposes only.
©️2025, Jenivieve Design | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy