PyPDFForm

4.8.2 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no python

PyPDFForm is a Python library for programmatically filling, flattening, and manipulating PDF forms (AcroForms, XFA, etc.). Current version is 4.8.2, with active development and frequent releases (multiple versions per month). It supports Python >=3.10 and provides both a Python API and a CLI.

pip install pypdfform

Common errors

error ImportError: cannot import name 'PdfWrapper' from 'pypdfform' ↓

cause The internal package was restructured in v4.7.8; some users may have installed an older version that doesn't expose PdfWrapper.

fix

Upgrade to latest version: pip install --upgrade pypdfform

error KeyError: 'field_name' ↓

cause The field name does not exist in the PDF form. PyPDFForm uses the original field names from the PDF.

fix

List all field names: pdf = PdfWrapper('template.pdf'); print(list(pdf.keys()))

Warnings

breaking In v4.7.6 - v4.7.8, the internal package structure changed, moving source to lib/. Import paths from pypdfform remain the same, but if you relied on internal modules like pypdfform.egress or pypdfform.template, those imports will break. Use public API methods instead. ↓

fix Use from pypdfform import PdfWrapper and avoid importing internal modules directly.

deprecated PdfWrapper.update_widget_key.defer parameter is deprecated since v4.7.7. It will be removed in a future version. ↓

fix Remove defer parameter usage. If you need deferred operations, use the main update_field method without defer.

gotcha When filling checkboxes or radio buttons, use the field's export value (e.g., 'Yes' or 'On'), not a boolean True. ↓

fix Check the widget's appearance dictionary; typically set pdf['checkbox_field'] = 'Yes' or pdf['radio_field'] = 'Choice1'.

Imports

PdfWrapper
wrong
```
from pypdfform.lib import PdfWrapper
```
correct
```
from pypdfform import PdfWrapper
```
As of v4.7.8, the main package moved to lib/, but the public import path remains from pypdfform.

Quickstart

Basic usage: open a template PDF, set form field values, and write output. Use flatten() to make fields non-editable.

from pypdfform import PdfWrapper

# Fill a PDF form
with open('template.pdf', 'rb') as f:
    pdf = PdfWrapper(f)
pdf['field_name'] = 'value'
with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(pdf.read())

# Flatten the form (remove interactivity)
pdf.flatten()
with open('output_flattened.pdf', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(pdf.read())