Add Header & Footer to PDF Free — Page Numbers, Dates & Custom Text

Add header and footer to PDF free online — insert page numbers, dates, filenames, and custom text into any PDF in seconds. Set the font, size, color, and position of your header or footer, choose whether to apply to all pages or a specific page range, and download your updated PDF instantly. No Adobe Acrobat, no software installation, no signup required.

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What is a PDF Header & Footer Tool?

A PDF header and footer tool lets you add text to the top (header) and bottom (footer) of every page in a PDF — without touching the original page content. Headers and footers display page numbers, dates, document titles, company names, confidentiality notices, Bates numbers, and any repeating text that needs to appear consistently across all pages.

At PDFFixNow, you can add a header and footer to PDF free online without Adobe Acrobat or any desktop software. Upload your PDF, configure your header and footer text, choose the font, size, color, and position, select which pages to apply it to, and download the result in seconds. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android.

What you can insert in a PDF header or footer: Custom text — any text you type, such as a document title, company name, or confidentiality notice; Page numbers — automatic sequential page numbers in formats like "Page 1", "1 of 10", or plain numerals; Dates — the current date inserted automatically; Filenames — the name of the PDF file inserted automatically as part of the header or footer text.

Why headers and footers matter for professional documents: Documents shared without page numbers are harder to reference in meetings. Legal filings require Bates numbering across all pages. Academic submissions need running headers with the document title. Reports shared with clients look more professional with consistent headers and footers. Our tool makes all of this easy to add to any PDF — even documents you did not create yourself.

How to Add Header & Footer to PDF in 3 Simple Steps

Upload your PDF

Drag and drop your PDF into the upload area or click to browse your device. The tool accepts PDF files up to 50MB. You can also upload Word or PowerPoint files, which are converted to PDF automatically before the header and footer are applied.

Configure your header and footer

Type your header and footer text or select dynamic variables — Page Number, Total Pages, Date, or Filename. Choose the position (left, center, or right) for the header and footer independently. Set the font family, font size, and text color. Specify a page range if you want the header or footer applied only to selected pages.

Download your updated PDF

Click "Apply Changes" to process your file. Your PDF is updated in seconds. Download the finished document instantly — no watermarks added, no account required, no email needed.

When Should You Add a Header or Footer to a PDF?

Headers and footers are essential for professional, legal, and academic documents. Here are the most common situations where adding a header or footer to your PDF before sharing or submitting makes a real difference.

Add page numbers to a PDF report, thesis, or user manual before printing or submitting so readers can navigate and reference specific pages easily.
Insert a CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT label in the footer before sending a document for internal review to clearly communicate its status to all recipients.
Add the document title and creation date to the header of a PDF contract so every page is clearly identified even if pages become separated.
Apply Bates numbering to legal documents using sequential page identifiers in the footer so every page can be uniquely referenced in court proceedings.
Insert a copyright notice or company name into the footer of a brochure, ebook, or marketing document before distributing it publicly.
Add a running chapter or section name in the header of a long PDF so readers always know where they are without scrolling back to the table of contents.
Label a PDF invoice or purchase order with a footer containing the document reference number and date to make filing and retrieval faster.
Add a page range footer (e.g., "Page 3 of 20") to a multi-page PDF presentation before sending it to a client for review.

Why Use PDFFixNow to Add Headers & Footers to PDF?

Custom Page Numbering

Insert automatic page numbers that update on every page. Choose from formats like "Page 1", "1 of 10", or plain numerals. Set the starting page number and control which pages receive numbering using the page range selector.

Flexible Positioning

Place header and footer text in the left, center, or right zone independently. Set different content in each of the six available zones (three in the header, three in the footer) to create professional running headers like "Title | Date | Page Number".

Rich Text Styling

Customize your header and footer with a choice of font families, sizes, and colors. Match the typography of the original document or apply a consistent brand style across all your PDF headers and footers.

Dynamic Content Variables

Insert smart variables that populate automatically — current date, total page count, individual page numbers, and filename. These variables update dynamically so you never need to type repetitive content manually.

Page Range Control

Apply headers and footers to all pages or only a specified range (e.g., pages 2 to 10, or 5 to end). This lets you exclude cover pages, blank pages, or appendices from the header and footer automatically.

Secure & Private Processing

All uploads are protected with TLS encryption and automatically and permanently deleted from our servers after 2 hours. We never read, store permanently, or share your files.

Tips for Professional PDF Headers & Footers

Always use the dynamic Page Number variable instead of typing static numbers. Dynamic variables update automatically to show the correct number on each page. Manually typed numbers display the same value on every page — a common mistake that makes the entire footer incorrect.

Before applying your header or footer to all pages, test it on pages 1 to 3 first. Check the positioning, font size, and text content on the downloaded preview. This saves time on long documents — confirm everything looks correct before processing the full file.

Headers and footers should be concise — typically 50 characters or fewer per zone. Long text wraps or gets clipped, especially on narrow-margin documents. If you need multiple data points (company name, date, page number), use the left, center, and right position fields to distribute the content evenly.

Choose a font family and size that matches the rest of your PDF. For professional documents, a clean sans-serif font like Arial or Helvetica at 9–10pt is standard for headers and footers. A significantly different font or size will make the header look inconsistent with the rest of the document.

Most professional documents should not have a header or footer on the cover page. Use the page range selector to start your header and footer from page 2 onwards. This gives your document a clean, publication-quality look without cluttering the title page.

Apply your headers and footers first, then add password protection using our PDF security tool. Adding a header or footer to a password-protected PDF may require removing the password first. Doing the header and footer step first saves an extra round-trip.

Frequently Asked Questions About PDF Headers & Footers

Upload your PDF to our Add Header & Footer tool. In the footer configuration area, select the Page Number variable and choose your position — left, center, or right. Set the font and size, then click "Apply Changes". The correct page number is inserted on every page automatically and your updated PDF is ready to download.

Yes. The tool includes a page range selector where you can specify exactly which pages receive the header or footer. For example, enter "2-end" to skip the cover page, or "3-15" to apply only to a specific section. This gives you precise control without any manual page editing.

Yes. The tool lets you configure a header and a footer simultaneously in a single operation. You can set different content, font, size, color, and position for the header and footer independently. Both are applied to your PDF in a single processing step — you do not need to run the tool twice.

The tool supports several dynamic variables: Page Number (the current page), Total Pages (the total number of pages), Date (the current date in your chosen format), and Filename (the name of the PDF file). You can combine these with custom static text — for example, "Confidential | {{date}} | Page {{page}} of {{total}}".

The Add Header & Footer tool is designed for text-based content — page numbers, dates, titles, and custom text. If you need to add a logo or any other graphic to the header area, use our Edit PDF tool, which allows you to insert and position images anywhere on the page, including the top and bottom margin area.

Yes. Adding headers and footers to PDF is completely free on PDFFixNow. Free users can process PDF files up to 50MB with no daily limits on the number of files. There are no hidden charges, no account creation required, and no watermarks added to your output PDF.

Yes. Our PDF header and footer tool is fully mobile-friendly. Open PDFFixNow in Safari (iPhone/iPad) or Chrome (Android), upload your PDF, configure your settings, and download the updated file — all from your phone or tablet without installing any app.

Yes. PDFFixNow lets you add headers and footers to PDF completely free without Adobe Acrobat or any paid desktop software. Just open the tool in your browser, upload your PDF, configure your settings, and click Apply Changes. The output PDF opens correctly in Adobe Acrobat Reader and all other PDF viewers.

No. Adding a header or footer does not alter the original content of your PDF pages. The header and footer text is added in the designated margin areas at the top and bottom of each page. The original text, images, and formatting of your document remain completely unchanged.

Once a header or footer has been applied and the PDF downloaded, the changes are permanently embedded into the page. This is why it is important to preview your settings on a small page range before processing the full document. To remove a header or footer, use your original pre-header version of the file and re-process it with the correct settings.

Add Header & Footer to PDF Free — Page Numbers, Dates & Custom Text

What is a PDF Header & Footer Tool?

How to Add Header & Footer to PDF in 3 Simple Steps

When Should You Add a Header or Footer to a PDF?

Why Use PDFFixNow to Add Headers & Footers to PDF?

Tips for Professional PDF Headers & Footers

Frequently Asked Questions About PDF Headers & Footers

How do I add page numbers to a PDF?

Can I apply a header or footer to specific pages only?

Can I add both a header and a footer at the same time?

What text variables can I insert in the header or footer?

Can I add a logo or image to the PDF header?

Is it free to add headers and footers to a PDF?

Can I add a header and footer to a PDF on iPhone or Android?

Can I add a header and footer without Adobe Acrobat?

Will adding a header or footer change the original PDF page content?

How do I remove a header or footer from a PDF?