Generate Document - Checkboxes Won't Map

KennyK

I have a sheet in which two columns are of the checkbox column type. When trying to map these columns to fields in a PDF, the field borders all turn red and won't let me map to them. I've tried using text fields and checkbox fields in the PDF, but none of them will map to these columns. All other columns (text and dropdown types) are able to map appropriately.

Genevieve P.

Hey @KennyK

Document Builder is able to map to checkbox fields - if you're seeing red boxes instead of green, this may be due to either how the fillable PDF file fields are set up or how the Smartsheet columns are configured.

In this other discussion thread, LGraf was able to resolve their similar issue by adjusting the column types within Smartsheet.

Can you post a screen capture of how your sheet is set up, identifying the columns that won't map? (But please block out sensitive data).

Thanks!

Genevieve

Nats.Rudy

I am having the same issue with checkboxes - see the screenshot below:

Genevieve P.

Hi @Nats.Rudy

It doesn't look like that fillable PDF has any fillable fields that are set up to be a checkbox type of field. Can you take another look at the source PDF to ensure all the fields are configured correctly?

KennyK

Hi, @GenevieveB,

Here is a screenshot showing my issue. It doesn't seem to be the same the user in the other thread ran into, as my sheet columns are set to "checkbox". My fillable PDF has two checkbox fields and was created using Jotform.

Thanks!

Nats.Rudy

Hi @Genevieve P. ,

I have also had the same issue as @KennyK in that I have configured these fields as checkboxes in the editable PDF but I also still have the same red boxes.

Genevieve P.

Hi @KennyK and @Nats.Rudy

Thank you for the screen captures and for confirming that the fields in your fillable PDFs are configured as Checkboxes.

I can't quite tell from the images - can you both confirm if each checkbox field has a unique title/name as well?

Nats.Rudy

Hi @Genevieve P.

Thanks so much for clarifying - IT WORKS NOW!! Great learning for me.

KennyK

@Genevieve P.

Thank you for the help. It looks like my issue relates to how Jotform was creating the fields. Interestingly, the checkbox fields in the PDF showed as checkbox fields when opened with Adobe Acrobat (screenshot below), but Smartsheet saw them as text fields. Jotform has since changed how they create checkboxes, and it works as intended now.

Screenshot showing that Acrobat sees the fields as checkboxes with unique IDs (original pdf):

Screenshot showing that Smartsheet thinks they are text fields (original pdf):

Screenshot showing the new checkbox now working as intended (new pdf):