Add Header and Footer to PDF

Header and Footer adds a line of text to the top and bottom of your pages, such as a company name, a document title, the date or "Page 1 of 10". Use the codes {n}, {total}, {date} and {file} to fill in details automatically.

What are headers and footers in a PDF?

A header is a line of text at the top of every page, and a footer is a line at the bottom. In books and reports they carry information that helps readers find their way: the document title, a company name, the chapter, a date or a page number such as “Page 4 of 20”. When a PDF was created without them, or when several documents were merged, this tool lets you add consistent headers and footers to every page in seconds.

Common uses

• Business documents. Add your company name to the header and “Confidential” or a version number to the footer.
• Legal and official papers. Number every page with “Page {n} of {total}” so that missing pages are obvious.
• School and university work. Put your name, student number or course code at the top of every page, as many teachers require.
• Merged documents. After combining files from different sources, a single footer gives the whole document a consistent look.
• Printed packs. A date in the footer shows readers which version of a document they are holding.

Smart codes that fill themselves in

You can type any text, and you can also use these codes, which the tool replaces automatically on each page:

• {n} – the current page number.
• {total} – the total number of pages in the document.
• {date} – today’s date in your device’s date format.
• {file} – the name of your PDF file without “.pdf”.

For example, the footer “{file} – Page {n} of {total}” becomes “proposal – Page 3 of 12” on the third page.

Options

Choose left, center or right alignment for both header and footer. Set the font size; 9 to 11 points looks professional and does not distract from the main content. Pick a colour, such as dark gray for a subtle look or your brand colour. Use the Pages field to skip pages, for example “2-30” to leave the cover page clean. Leave the header or the footer empty if you need only one of them.

Layout and rotated pages

The text is placed about 9 millimetres from the top and bottom edges, which fits inside the margins of most documents. Pages that are displayed in landscape or turned sideways get their header and footer along the top and bottom as you see them on screen, so the text always reads the right way.

Font and characters

The tool uses Helvetica, a standard font built into every PDF reader. It supports English letters, numbers and common symbols. Characters from other alphabets, such as Urdu, Arabic, Hindi or Chinese, are not available in this font; if you type them, the tool will ask you to use English characters instead.

Private and quick

Your document is processed in your browser and never uploaded. The original pages are not redrawn, so text and images keep their quality and the file size barely changes.

Tips

• If you only need page numbers, the Add Page Numbers tool offers a few more positions.
• For legal document labels such as ABC000123, use Bates Numbering.
• Check that the header does not cover existing text on pages with very small margins.

Professional header and footer ideas

Many organisations use the document title on the left of the header and the company name on the right. Legal and financial teams often put “Confidential” in the header and “Page {n} of {total}” in the footer. For drafts, a footer such as “Draft – {date}” makes it clear which version a reader is looking at.

How to use Add Header and Footer to PDF

1. Select your PDF file.
2. Type the header and footer text and choose the alignment, size and colour.
3. Click "Add header and footer" and download the PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Which codes can I use?

{n} is the page number, {total} is the number of pages, {date} is today's date and {file} is the file name.

Can I skip the cover page?

Yes. Enter the pages to use, for example 2-50.

Can I use different text on odd and even pages?

Run the tool twice with page lists such as 1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6, using different text each time.

Will the header cover my content?

It is placed close to the edge, inside normal margins. Pages with very small margins may overlap, so check the result.

Can I add my logo?

This tool adds text only. To add a logo, use an image editor or a full PDF editor.

Is this tool really free?

Yes. All tools on this website are free to use, with no sign-up needed.

Are my files and data safe?

Yes. Everything is processed inside your own browser. Your files and text are not uploaded to our servers.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. The tools work on modern phones, tablets and computers.