Select and edit multiple PDF fields at once

The multi select tool allows you to select a set of PDF fields and apply bulk actions to them at the same time. You can leverage standard keyboard shortcuts to move your fields around, apply mass changes to them like renaming or assigning a field type, or preserve any existing field logic and formatting when duplicating the selected fields.

This helps you cut down on time spent creating, editing, and updating PDF templates within Anvil. This tool is especially helpful with reducing time spent on repetitive tasks like setting up PDF fields for arrays and updating your PDF after replacing an underlying document.

Anything you can do at an individual field level can also be accomplished in bulk once you've selected multiple fields. Here are some examples of changes you can make with the multi select tool:

Assign a field type
Format the information in the field*
Change the font family, size, and color*
Align fields
Resize fields
Connect PDF fields to Webform fields
Apply, edit, or delete conditional logic

* All selected fields must be the same field type in order to make this change in bulk

The multi select tool can be used anytime you’re working with a PDF or document in Anvil. This means you can use it with Document templates, Workflows, and Etch packets.

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The PDF multi select tool can help you efficiently apply bulk changes to a set of PDF fields simultaneously.

In this article, we’ll show you how to:

Edit multiple PDF fields at once
Move and duplicate PDF fields with keyboard shortcuts

Edit multiple PDF fields at once

There are two methods to select multiple fields: drag to select and click to select.

Drag to select: is great for selecting a collection of fields that are next to each other on your PDF.
Click to select: is great for selecting fields that are far apart from one another on your PDF.

Drag to select

Navigate to your Workflow, Document template, or Etch packet
Hold down the shift key
Click and drag your cursor over all the fields you want to edit
Let go of the shift key
- Selected fields will have a bolded outline
Apply your desired edits

Note: To select fields that are outside of your view, release the shift key and navigate to where you can see additional fields. Hold down the shift key again before selecting more fields.

Click to select

Navigate to your Workflow, Document template, or Etch packet
Hold down the shift key
Click to select fields
- Selected fields will have a bolded outline
Apply your desired edits

Note: To select fields that are outside of your view, release the shift key and then scroll to where you can see more fields. Hold down the shift key again before clicking on additional fields.

Move and duplicate PDF field with keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can be paired with the multi select tool to optimize your PDF template creating and editing. Just like other PDF field edits, these keyboard shortcuts can be applied at both an individual and bulk level.

Action	Windows	macOS
Copy: Great for copying fields across pages.	`ctrl + c`	`command + c`
Cut: Great for moving fields across pages.	`ctrl + x`	`command + x`
Paste: Use in conjunction with copy/cut to copy/move fields across pages.	`ctrl + v`	`command + v`
Duplicate: Instantly duplicate a set of fields on the same PDF page.	`ctrl + d`	`command + d`
Move fields: Use directional arrow keys to shift fields around with your keyboard instead of your mouse.	↑ ↓ ← →	↑ ↓ ← →
Delete: Instantly delete fields.	`delete`	`delete`