PDF form templates
TakeNote stores the provider PDFs your firm uses and maps their fields to client data. Preparing a template is a one-off task: once its fields are mapped, any adviser in your firm can complete that form for a client. Prepared templates are listed under Form Library in the sidebar.
Before you upload
Use the current, blank version of the provider form. Keep the provider's original field labels and page order so advisers can compare the completed output against the source form.
The file must be a PDF and no larger than 25MB. Remove passwords and document restrictions first, as TakeNote cannot read an encrypted PDF. Never upload a form that still contains a previous client's information.
Two kinds of PDF behave differently, and the distinction determines whether a template can be prepared at all:
- A fillable PDF carries embedded form fields. TakeNote can detect these, and the template can be mapped to client data.
- A flat PDF is effectively a picture of a form with no embedded fields. There is nothing for TakeNote to detect, so the template cannot be mapped or auto-filled.
TakeNote identifies which kind you have on upload and labels the template Fillable or Flat PDF in the Type column, so you can see which templates can be prepared before you begin. If a provider supplies a flat form, request a fillable version from them.
When a provider sends a replacement file, upload it and use Re-check types in the library toolbar. TakeNote re-examines every template in the library and updates the Type labels, so a form that was previously flat is picked up as fillable without having to remove and re-add it.
Upload the template
Open Form Library from the sidebar and select Upload Form. Choose the blank provider PDF from your device. TakeNote uses the file name as the template name, which you can edit before uploading, and you can add an optional description to help colleagues pick the right form.
Each row in the library shows the template name, whether it is Fillable or a Flat PDF, and how far its mapping has progressed:
Cannot map— the file is a flat PDF with no form fields. Request a fillable version from the provider.Not mapped— the template is fillable, but no fields have been connected to client data yet.12 fields mapped— the number of fields connected to client data. Any count above zero means advisers can complete the template for a client, and a shortcut to do so appears on the row.
Forms
3 templates in your library
Aviva Client Details Form
AJ Bell Investment Application
Platform Transfer Authority
Detect the fields
Uploading a template does not read its fields. Open the template and select Detect fields to have TakeNote read the PDF and list every form field it contains, grouped by page.
Review the list against the printed form. Each entry shows the field's label and its type, covering text inputs, numbers, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdowns. Confirm the list covers the information advisers need to supply.
Detection establishes where information belongs on the page. It does not decide which client value fills it — that is the mapping step below.
When a provider reissues a form, use Re-detect fields. TakeNote re-reads the PDF and updates the fields in place, keeping the mapping on every field that still matches, so you only need to map what has genuinely changed.
Aviva Client Details Form
Added 12/03/2026
Detected fields
24 fields found in this PDF, grouped by page.
Page 1
Map the fields to client data
Select Map fields to open the mapping workspace. Choose a field on the PDF preview, then connect it to the corresponding TakeNote data point in the panel alongside. Mappings can draw on client details, adviser details, meeting information, and values captured from supporting documents.
Read the field label and the provider's instructions together. A field labelled Client nameshould map to the client's full name rather than a meeting attendee or a document contact. Leave a field unmapped when it should always be completed by hand.
Your work is saved as you go. Each change is written immediately and the header confirms with All changes saved; there is no save button to press. Use the back arrow to return to the template when you have finished.
Mapping fields
Aviva Client Details Form
Client details
Field mapping
Connect each PDF field to a TakeNote data point.
Client name
Date of birth
National Insurance number
Address line 1
Test before live use
Complete a new or revised template against a real client record before relying on it in a live case. Check the generated PDF for text alignment, tick-box behaviour, date formatting, and any field the adviser still needs to complete manually.
Once a template produces a clean result, advisers can complete it for any client from Complete a Form. See Auto-filling provider forms for the adviser's side of that workflow.