Add a header and footer to your PDF
Type the text for the left, center and right of the header and footer, use tokens for the page number, date and file name, and save a stamped copy. Nothing is uploaded.
- Files never leave your browser.
- No account needed
- No watermark added
- Works on any device
How it works
Step 1: Choose the PDF file.
Step 2: Type the header and footer text in the left, center and right boxes, using tokens where you want values that change.
Step 3: Set the font size, color, margin and, if needed, the page range.
Step 4: Select Add Header & Footer and download the result.
What a running header and footer are
A header sits along the top margin of a page and a footer along the bottom. Both repeat on every page, which makes them the place for a document title, a version, a confidentiality note or a date. This tool gives you three slots in each band: left, center and right.
The text can be fixed words or tokens that change from page to page. {page} becomes the page number, {pages} the total number of pages, {date} the date and {filename} the name of the file. Typing Contract draft - {filename} left and Page {page} of {pages} right produces exactly that on every page.
You also choose the font size, the color, the distance from the page edge and the range of pages that receive the text. The lines are drawn on top of the existing page and the result is saved as a new PDF; your original is untouched.
Why use this tool
Six slots, two bands
Left, center and right in both the header and the footer let you split information across the page instead of squeezing it into one line.
Tokens that stay accurate
Page, total pages, date and file name are filled in for each page, so nothing has to be typed page by page.
Handles the page range
Apply the text to only the pages that need it, for instance the main body without the appendices.
Private processing
The stamping happens in your browser, so an internal draft is not uploaded to anyone.
Common uses
Draft and version marks
Put Draft v3 in the header of a proposal circulating for comments, so nobody quotes an outdated copy.
Confidentiality notices
Place Internal use only in the footer of a report that is shared with a wider team.
Traceable printouts
Add the file name and the date to the footer so a paper copy found on a desk can be matched to its source file.
Course handouts
Show the course name on the left of the header and the page number on the right for a printed reader.
Reference numbers on filings
Repeat a case or invoice reference in the top-right of every page of a submission.
Planning what goes where
A crowded header is harder to read than none at all. A workable pattern is identity on the left (document title or company), context in the center (section, status or classification) and navigation on the right (page number). In the footer, mirror the idea: the file name or reference on the left, the date in the center and Page {page} of {pages} on the right.
The center slot has the least room when the left and right slots are used, so keep the words there to two or three. If you only need a page number, Add Page Numbers is simpler and gives you extra choices about which page to start on.
- Use {date} in a footer when a printout might be compared with another one later.
- Use {filename} when several versions of a document circulate under similar names.
- Keep the margin at least 20 points so the text stays clear of the printer edge.
Supported formats
- Input
- One PDF file (.pdf).
- Output
- One PDF file with the header and footer added.
Text is limited to Latin characters.
Good to know
- Only Latin characters are supported. Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic or emoji cannot be used in the header or footer text.
- The text is added over the page content. If the page already has printed headers or footers, the new ones will overlap them.
- The same text and position apply to every selected page; there are no separate settings for odd and even pages.
- Long text is not wrapped, so keep each slot short enough that left, center and right do not run into each other.
Your files never leave your browser
This tool runs entirely on your device using your browser. Your files are not uploaded to our servers and are not stored anywhere. Closing the tab discards everything.
Frequently asked questions
Which values can I insert automatically?
Four tokens: {page} for the page number, {pages} for the total, {date} for the date and {filename} for the file name. Type them anywhere in the text of any slot.
Can I use Arabic or accented text?
Accented Western European letters work, but Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic and emoji do not, because the tool uses standard PDF fonts that cover Latin characters only.
Can I add a header without a footer?
Yes. Fill in only the header boxes and leave the footer boxes empty, or the other way around, and only the bands you fill in are stamped.
Is my document uploaded to add the header and footer?
No. The text is drawn in your browser and the file is not sent anywhere.
Will the header push my content down?
No. The text is drawn over the existing page in the margin area and nothing is moved. If a page already has content in that margin, the two will overlap.