OnlyOffice User Roles & Fillable Forms

OnlyOffice lets you create fillable forms and control who can edit or only fill them by assigning user roles. You can build a form with fields like text boxes, checkboxes, and dropdowns, then share it so others can fill it in without changing the structure. This article explains how the roles work, how to create a form, and how to manage permissions.

What Are User Roles in OnlyOffice?

OnlyOffice Docs (the editor part of the platform) uses roles to decide what a person can do with a document. The three main roles are:

• Editor – can change any content, including the form structure itself.
• Reviewer – can add comments and suggest changes, but not directly edit the final text.
• Form Filler – can only fill in the fields you have marked as fillable. They cannot move or delete fields, change labels, or alter the layout.

When you create a fillable form in OnlyOffice, you are essentially locking the document so that only the fields you define are editable. The person you share it with gets the “Form Filler” role by default, unless you grant them editor rights.

How to Create a Fillable Form in OnlyOffice

OnlyOffice includes a built-in form builder that works inside the document editor. Here is the general workflow:

1. Open a new or existing document in OnlyOffice Docs (the web or desktop version).
2. Go to the Plugins tab and select Forms (or use the “Forms” button if your version has it directly in the toolbar).
3. Choose the type of field you want to add: text field, combo box, dropdown list, checkbox, radio button, date picker, or image placeholder.
4. Click on the document where you want the field to appear. A field box will be inserted.
5. Select the field and use the right-hand panel to set properties: placeholder text, required status, character limit, or list items for dropdowns.
6. When you are done, click Save Form or Make Fillable. This converts the document into a form where only the fields are editable.

After saving, the document is in “form mode.” You can still edit it by turning off the form mode, but for normal sharing you leave it on.

How to Assign Roles When Sharing

When you share a form from OnlyOffice Cloud (or from your own server if you have the Document Server), you can set the access level for each person or link:

• Full Access – the person can edit everything, including the form design.
• Review – the person can comment and suggest, but not directly change the form.
• Form Filling – the person can only fill the fields you defined.
• Read Only – the person can see the document but cannot interact with fields.

In the sharing dialog, you choose one of these options for each user. If you send a link, you can set the default role for anyone who clicks it. For example, you might create a link that gives “Form Filling” access to everyone in your company, and a separate link that gives “Full Access” only to your HR manager.

Common Problems and Solutions

People often run into a few issues when using OnlyOffice forms:

• Fields are not visible to the filler. This usually happens if the form was not saved in “form mode.” Make sure you click “Save Form” before sharing.
• Filler can move or delete fields. That means the person has editor rights. Check the sharing settings and change the role to “Form Filling.”
• Dropdown options are missing. You need to define the list items in the field properties before saving the form. If you add items after saving, you must re-save the form.
• Cannot insert a field in a table cell. Some versions have trouble with fields inside tables. Try placing the field just outside the table, or use a text field with a table-like layout.

If a filler reports that they cannot type in a text field, check whether the field is set to “Required” and whether the document is still in form mode. Also, ensure the person is opening the file in OnlyOffice Docs, not in a plain PDF viewer – OnlyOffice forms are not standard PDF forms unless you export them to PDF with the form option.

OnlyOffice vs. Other Form Tools

OnlyOffice is not the only way to create fillable forms. Here is a quick comparison with common alternatives:

• Microsoft Word/Excel – Word has developer controls for forms, but sharing and role management is clunkier. OnlyOffice is built for collaboration from the start.
• Google Forms – Great for simple surveys, but you cannot embed the form into a longer document with paragraphs and images as easily.
• Adobe Acrobat – Excellent for PDF forms, but it is paid and not a full document editor. OnlyOffice lets you create the form and the document in one place.
• JotForm / Wufoo – These are web-form builders, not document editors. They are better for collecting data into a database, but not for creating a formatted report or contract.

OnlyOffice’s strength is that it combines a full word processor with form creation and real-time collaboration. You do not need to switch between a document editor and a form builder.

Cost and Platform Considerations

OnlyOffice has several editions. The free desktop apps (Windows, Mac, Linux) include the form builder and work offline. The web version is free for personal use if you host it yourself via the Community Edition. For commercial cloud hosting, you pay per user or per server, but there is no separate charge for the form feature – it is included.

If you are using the free desktop version, you can save a form as a DOCX or PDF. The PDF export preserves the fillable fields, but only if you choose “PDF with form fields” in the export dialog. Otherwise, the fields become static text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a form that only certain people can fill, but not edit?

Yes. When sharing, select “Form Filling” for those users. They will see the fields and can type into them, but they cannot change the layout, delete fields, or edit the surrounding text.

How do I make a field required?

Select the field, open the field properties panel, and check the “Required” box. If a required field is left empty, the filler will see a warning when they try to submit the form.

Can I export my OnlyOffice form as a PDF?

Yes. Go to File → Download as → PDF. In the export options, choose “PDF with form fields.” The resulting PDF will have the same fillable fields, and the filler can use any PDF reader that supports forms.

What happens if I share a form with someone who has the free desktop app?

They can open the DOCX file and fill it in, as long as the file is in form mode. The desktop app supports form filling without any additional license.

Can I edit a form after someone has already filled it?

Yes, but you need to turn off form mode first. Open the document, go to the Forms tab, and click “Edit Form.” Make your changes, then save the form again. Note that any data already entered may be lost if you change the field structure.

Is there a way to collect all filled forms into a spreadsheet?

OnlyOffice does not have a built-in response collector like Google Forms. You can manually copy the data, or use a third-party tool to extract values from the DOCX files. For simple collection, you might be better off with a dedicated web form tool.

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