TL;DR: Implement a JavaScript PDF Editor for web applications with core features like text editing, annotations, form filling, digital signatures, and page organization. Supports toolbar customization, secure document handling, and optimized performance for browser-based PDF workflows.
Ever wonder if editing a PDF directly in your web app using JavaScript is even possible ? You’re not alone; millions of developers have asked the same question. As more businesses shift to digital-first workflows, the demand for seamless, browser-based PDF editing tools has skyrocketed. Developers and product teams are constantly searching for a JavaScript PDF Editor with powerful features, easy to integrate, and customizable PDF editor JavaScript that matches their app’s look and feel.
That’s where Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Editor comes in; yes, it’s built on a powerful viewer, but it goes far beyond just viewing. With robust editing capabilities, it transforms your web app into a full-featured online PDF editor. From highlighting text to adding form fields and from organizing PDF pages to adding signatures and much more, it delivers everything you need to build a modern, browser-based PDF editing experience, without the complexity or heavy lifting.
In this blog, we’ll explore how you can build a JavaScript PDF Editor for your web apps with Syncfusion. Let’s dive in!
Setup your JavaScript PDF Editor
Integrating Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Viewer into your project is straightforward. Let’s deep dive into the step-by-step process from creating the files to launching your PDF editor in the Web browser.
Step 1: Create a project folder
Begin by creating a dedicated folder for your application, for example, my-app. This folder will contain all your project files, including the HTML page that hosts the PDF Viewer.
Step 2: Use global script and style from CDN
Next, add the required Syncfusion scripts and styles. Since Essential JS 2 components are hosted on a CDN, you don’t need to install packages. Simply include the following in your index.html file inside the <head> section
<head>
<!-- Essential JS 2 Script -->
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/31.2.2/dist/ej2.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js"></script>
</head>
Step 3: Create an HTML file
Inside your my-app folder, create an index.html file. Add a <div> element to host the PDF Viewer, then initialize the Essential JS 2 PDF Viewer component using JavaScript:
<body>
<div id="PdfViewer" style="height:580px;width:100%;"></div>
<script>
// Initialize PDF Viewer
var pdfviewer = new ej.pdfviewer.PdfViewer({
documentPath: 'https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf',
resourceUrl: 'https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/31.2.2/dist/ej2-pdfviewer-lib'
});
// Inject required modules
ej.pdfviewer.PdfViewer.Inject(
ej.pdfviewer.TextSelection,
ej.pdfviewer.TextSearch,
ej.pdfviewer.Print,
ej.pdfviewer.Navigation,
ej.pdfviewer.Toolbar,
ej.pdfviewer.Magnification,
ej.pdfviewer.Annotation,
ej.pdfviewer.FormDesigner,
ej.pdfviewer.FormFields,
ej.pdfviewer.PageOrganizer
);
// Render PDF Viewer
pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');
</script>
</body>
Step 4: Launch in browser
Finally, open your index.html file in any modern web browser such as Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. The Syncfusion JavaScript PDF Viewer will load instantly, displaying the sample PDF document.
Note: For more detailed guidance, check out our official documentation.
Customize the toolbar for your Web application
Toolbar customization is essential for modern web apps. A flexible toolbar allows you to remove unused tools, add custom actions, and tailor the interface to your users’ needs.
Replace the default toolbar with custom actions
Syncfusion offers advanced customization options that let you fully personalize the toolbar in your PDF Editor JavaScript application. You can add custom icons for unique actions, create new groups to organize tools, and implement complex, app-specific actions, all designed to give you complete control over the user interface and align it perfectly with your application needs.
When a custom toolbar is required, the default toolbar can be removed using the enableToolbar property during initialization or the showToolbar method at runtime, giving you flexibility to design a truly tailored experience.
Note: For more customization options in the toolbar, check the official documentation
Enhance styling with built-in themes
Beyond functionality, Syncfusion also provides multiple built-in themes such as Material, Bootstrap, and Fluent that instantly enhance the look and feel of the PDF Viewer toolbar. These themes ensure consistent styling across your application and help maintain brand alignment.
Note: For more appearance customization options, check the official documentation
JavaScript PDF annotation for interactive document editing
PDF annotation turns static PDFs into dynamic, interactive documents. With Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Viewer, you can highlight text, underline important points, add shapes, and insert sticky notes, all while preserving the original content. Users can easily review, markup, and organize information, or even print documents with or without annotation.
Add annotations via Toolbar
Users can add annotations directly by clicking on the Annotation option in the built-in toolbar and selecting the type of annotation they want, such as Highlight, Underline, or Shape.
Programmatic interaction with annotations
Syncfusion doesn’t just stop at UI-based annotation tools; it gives developers complete control through powerful APIs. You can programmatically add highlights, shapes, or sticky notes, update existing annotations, or remove them entirely with just a few lines of code.
<button id="highlight">
Add TextMarkup annotation programmatically
</button>
let highlight = document.getElementById('highlight');
if (highlight) {
highlight.addEventListener('click', function () {
if (pdfviewer) {
pdfviewer.annotation.addAnnotation("Highlight", {
bounds: [{ x: 97, y: 250, width: 350, height: 14 }],
pageNumber: 3
});
}
});
}
These steps cover the basics of adding and managing annotations, but there’s much more you can do. To explore all annotation types and advanced customization options along with detailed code examples, check out the official documentation.
Simplify PDF signing with handwritten signature support
Signatures turn a simple PDF into an official document. Whether you’re signing a contract, approving a proposal, or confirming an agreement, adding a signature is essential for trust and compliance.
With Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Viewer, users can draw or type signatures as annotations or fill signature fields in forms. This makes singing fast, easy, and secure. You can add signatures using the built-in UI, or developers can apply the same signature programmatically for automated workflows.
Why digital signatures matter
Digital signatures add a cryptographic layer of security, ensuring documents remain unchanged and authentic. They play a critical role in compliance and secure workflows. With Syncfusion PDF Viewer, users can view digitally signed PDFs in the app for transparency and trust.
Want to explore every option and advanced features for signatures? Check out the official overview documentation for Signature and digital signature.
Add and manage form fields to fill PDF forms in your Web app
Turn static PDFs into smart, data-ready documents with Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Viewer Form Fields and Form Designer support. You can display and fill existing PDF forms or create new ones using standard elements, such as text boxes, checkboxes, and radio buttons, which are perfect for everything from simple data entry to complex workflows.
Add form fields via toolbar
Users can add form fields directly by clicking the Form Designer option in the built-in toolbar and selecting the desired field type, such as Text Box, Checkbox, or Radio Button.
Programmatic control
Syncfusion doesn’t just stop at UI-based form filling and creating; it gives developers complete control through powerful APIs. You can programmatically add, update, or remove form fields with just a few lines of code. For example, check the code to add form fields below:
pdfviewer.formDesignerModule.addFormField("Textbox", {
name: "Last Name",
bounds: { X: 146, Y: 229, Width: 150, Height: 24},
pageNumber: 1
});
To explore all advanced customization options with detailed code examples, check out the official documentation about form fields, form designer, and form designer toolbar customization.
Organize PDF pages: Add, Remove, and Reorder easily
Keep your PDFs neat and well-structured with Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Viewer organization tools. Add, delete, or reorder pages from a PDF document, all within your web app.
To organize pages, click on the Organize PDF tool in the sidebar. A dialog opens, where you can add, remove, or reorder pages and then save and view the updated document instantly.
Want to explore every option and advanced features? Check out the official documentation for organize pages and its toolbar customization.
Advanced features to optimize PDF editing
Beyond core capabilities such as form filling, annotations, and page organization, Syncfusion’s PDF Viewer includes a range of advanced tools for enhancing speed, security, and efficiency. Once edits are complete, users can download or print the document instantly for a seamless workflow.
Key navigation and editing features:
- TextSearch: Quickly search text across the PDF document.
- BookmarkView: Navigate easily using bookmarks.
- ThumbnailView: Allows users to navigate easily with a thumbnail view.
- Navigation: Smooth page navigation across PDF pages.
Together, these features transform Syncfusion’s PDF Viewer into a high-performance PDF editor, optimized for speed and user experience.
Note: For more details, refer to our JavaScript PDF Viewer documentation.
Conclusion
Choosing the right approach for building a PDF editor depends on what you want to achieve. If your goal is to have advanced capabilities such as annotations, form fields, page organization, and seamless navigation, Syncfusion’s JavaScript PDF Viewer will save you time and effort.
If you’re a Syncfusion user, you can download the setup from the license and downloads page. Otherwise, you can download a free 30-day trial.
You can also contact us through our support forum, support portal, or feedback portal for queries. We are always happy to assist you!
Related Blogs
- Enhance PDF Viewing and Editing with the New Built-in Toolbar in .NET MAUI PDF Viewer
- How to Fix Memory Leaks in JavaScript PDF Viewers: Best Practices and Debugging Tips
- Top Security Risks in JavaScript PDF Viewers (and How to Fix Them)
- How to Embed PDFs in HTML PDF Viewer: Native HTML Tags vs. Syncfusion JavaScript PDF Viewer
This article was originally published at Syncfusion.com.
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