> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.box.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PDF template limitations

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Not all PDF files behave the same way. This article explains each PDF type you might encounter, what Box Doc Gen can and cannot do with it, and how to fix a PDF that does not generate.

## Standard AcroForm PDF

Supported. This is the standard format, and it works fully. AcroForm is the default used by Adobe Acrobat and most PDF authoring tools. Box Doc Gen supports all field types.

## XFA forms

Not supported. XFA forms look identical on screen, but they store their fields in a different internal format that Box Doc Gen cannot read. You can preview the form, but no fields are detected and generation fails.

To fix this, open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro and go to **Tools** > **Prepare Form**. Acrobat offers to convert the XFA fields to AcroForm fields. Save the result as a new file and use that as your template.

## PDF/A format

Not supported. PDF/A is an archival format. Many PDF/A files use XFA internally, so neither preview nor generation works, and Box Doc Gen reports a failure immediately.

To fix this, open the PDF/A file in Adobe Acrobat Pro and select **File** > **Save As Other** > **Optimized PDF** to convert it. Confirm that the result uses AcroForm fields before uploading.

## PDFs with digital signature fields

Supported. These PDFs generate successfully, and all regular fields are filled correctly. However, digital signature fields are converted to plain text fields in the output, and the signature itself is not carried over.

<Tip>
  If the document needs a valid digital signature, apply it after generation using a signing service such as Box Sign. Do not rely on the signature field in the template.
</Tip>

## Password-protected PDFs

Not supported. Box Doc Gen cannot open a password-protected PDF. It cannot read inside the file at all, so it reports no tags and fails. The message "This document has no tags" is misleading; it simply means the file is locked.

To fix this, remove the password before uploading. In Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to **File** > **Properties** > **Security**, set **Security Method** to **No Security**, and save.

<Note>
  A password-protected PDF is different from a security-restricted PDF. A security-restricted PDF has some actions disabled, such as printing or copying, but does not require a password to open. Box Doc Gen works fine with security-restricted PDFs.
</Note>

## Security-restricted PDFs

Supported. Security-restricted PDFs work fully. Usage restrictions, such as print-disabled or copy-disabled, do not affect generation, and no changes are needed.

## Summary of PDF types

| PDF type               | Generation | Notes                                        |
| ---------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Standard AcroForm      | Succeeds   | Fully supported                              |
| Security-restricted    | Succeeds   | Restrictions do not affect processing        |
| With digital signature | Succeeds   | Signature becomes a text field in the output |
| XFA forms              | Fails      | Convert to AcroForm in Adobe Acrobat         |
| PDF/A format           | Fails      | Convert to a standard PDF in Adobe Acrobat   |
| Password-protected     | Fails      | Remove password protection before uploading  |