How it works
The PDF Header Footer tool adds custom text to the top (header) and/or bottom (footer) of every page of a PDF — including dynamic variables like page number, total pages, document title, and current date. Use it to brand documents, add filing references, or add legal disclaimers to distributed PDFs.
Professional documents require headers and footers: law firms add case file references to every page. Companies brand distributed reports with "CONFIDENTIAL" footers. Academic submissions need the student name and assignment number in the header. Government documents require date stamps. This tool adds these to any existing PDF.
How to use it: upload your PDF. Configure the header and footer independently: - Left, center, and right text zones (three-column layout per header/footer) - Dynamic placeholders: {page} (current page), {total} (total pages), {date} (today's date), {title} (PDF title from metadata) - Font, size, color - Margin from page edge
Skip first page: toggle "Skip cover page" to leave the first page without headers/footers — standard for title page layouts.
Privacy: header/footer addition runs in the browser using pdf-lib.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The header/footer tool currently supports text only. For a logo in the header, use the PDF Watermark tool with an image watermark placed in the top-left or top-right position at low scale — this achieves a visual logo header effect.
- {date} inserts today's date in the format MM/DD/YYYY by default. Toggle the date format setting to change it to YYYY-MM-DD (ISO), DD/MM/YYYY (European), or a long format like 'January 1, 2025'. The date is the current date at the moment you generate the PDF.
- In the footer center zone, type Page {page} of {total}. The {page} and {total} placeholders are automatically replaced with the correct values for each page. This is the standard document footer format for reports and legal filings.
- The tool adds headers and footers in the margin area outside the existing content. If the PDF's original content already extends to the page edge (no margin), the header/footer will overlap. Adjust the 'Margin from edge' setting to position within the white margin area.