Hard-coding PDF Field Values

Overview

Sometimes you need to hard-code specific values into PDF form fields, regardless of what the user enters in your form. For example, you might want to:

  • Set up multiple job application forms that all use the same PDF template but pre-fill different position titles
  • Always check certain checkboxes in your PDF
  • Include standard text that doesn’t come from user input
  • Add timestamps or other system-generated information

Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s walk through an example where we want to hard-code a value for a checkbox field named “Cashier” in a job application PDF, ensuring it’s always checked regardless of user input.

Setting Up Hard-coded Values

  1. Navigate to your form’s settings and select the PDF Forms tab

  2. In the Field Mapper Tool, select “Custom text string…” from the WPForms fields dropdown

  3. Select the field you want to hard-code (in this example, the “Cashier” checkbox field) from the PDF field dropdown

  4. Click the Add Mapping button

    Adding Custom Text Mapping

  5. In the text field that appears in the mapping list, enter the value you want to use:

    • For checkbox fields, enter the export value (typically “Yes” or “On”)
    • For text fields, enter the exact text you want to appear
    • For radio buttons or dropdowns, enter the exact value of the option you want to select
    Entering Custom Text Value

  6. Save your form settings

Testing Your Hard-coded Values

After setting up your hard-coded values, test your form by submitting it. The PDF should show your hard-coded values regardless of what was entered in the form.

Result with Hard-coded Values

Common Use Cases

Pre-selecting Options

Hard-coding values is useful for pre-selecting options in your PDF, such as:

  • Setting default choices for radio buttons
  • Pre-checking specific checkboxes
  • Selecting specific dropdown options

Adding Standard Text

You can add standard text that doesn’t come from user input:

  • Legal disclaimers
  • Company information
  • Form identifiers or version numbers

Including Dynamic System Information

You can also use WPForms Smart Tags in your custom text to include dynamic information:

  • Current date: {date format="m/d/Y"}
  • Site information: {site_name}
  • Page information: {page_title}

For more information about using Smart Tags, see the WPForms Smart Tags documentation.