Add Header & Footer to PDF

How to Add a Header and Footer to a PDF

1. Drop your PDF onto the tool, or click Choose PDF File.
2. Type your text. Fill in Header Text, Footer Text, or both. You need at least one. In the header or footer, {page} becomes the page number and {total} becomes the page count, so "Page {page} of {total}" works.
3. Set the alignment with Header Position and Footer Position: Left, Center or Right.
4. Pick the text color. Text Color sets the lettering. Tick "Add a colored band behind the text" if you want Header and Footer Background Colors too. Click a swatch or type a hex code.
5. Adjust the size. Font Size, Font Weight (Normal or Bold), Header Height and Footer Height (distance from the page edge) are all there.
6. Check the page grid. Delete or drag pages there and the result follows that order. Choose Apply to (All Pages, First Page Only, or All Pages Except First), click Add Header & Footer, then Download PDF.

Why Use This Header and Footer Tool

• Your file stays on your device. The PDF and your text are handled by code running in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
• Text stays text. Your original pages are copied, not turned into pictures, so the existing text remains selectable and searchable.
• Page numbers in the footer. Use {page} and {total} in the header or footer to number every page automatically.
• Colors and size you control. Set the lettering color, font size, weight and distance from the edge, with an optional colored band.

Good to know: the text is drawn over the top and bottom edge of each page and does not push your content down, so check that your margins have room. The optional colored band is solid and covers anything underneath it. {page} and {total} work in both the header and the footer. Text is set in Helvetica, so accented Latin letters are fine but Arabic, Chinese and similar scripts are not supported. Pages you delete in the grid are left out, and the grid order is kept.

FAQ

How do I add a header and footer to a PDF?

Drop your PDF onto the tool, type text into Header Text, Footer Text or both, choose positions, then click Add Header & Footer and download the result.

Can I add page numbers with this tool?

Yes, in the footer. Type something like Page {page} of {total} into Footer Text. {page} turns into each page's number and {total} into the page count. They work in the header too.

Will the header cover my existing content?

It can if your page has no top margin. The text is drawn on top of the page edge and the content is not moved. Lower the Header Height and Footer Height, or use a document with generous margins. The optional colored band is solid, so leave it off if the edges hold content.

Is the text in my PDF still selectable afterwards?

Yes. The pages are not converted to images, so the original text stays selectable, and the header and footer you add are real text too.

Can I use Arabic, Chinese or other non-Latin text?

No. The tool writes text in Helvetica, which covers standard Latin characters including common accents. Other scripts are not supported.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere, and is there a size limit?

No. The PDF is processed in your browser, so your file stays on your device. Your file size limit is shown on this page, and a free account raises it.