About the Header & Footer PDF
Add a header and footer to every page of a PDF: page numbers, the file name, a date, a company name, "Confidential", or Bates numbers for legal and audit documents. Text can go in the left, centre or right of the top and bottom.
Choose which pages to stamp and how far from the edge. The PDF is processed on your device and never uploaded.
How it works
Type text into any of the six positions. Placeholders are filled in for each page: {n} is the page number, {total} the number of pages, {date} today's date, {file} the file name and {bates} the Bates number.
A Bates number is a prefix followed by a number with leading zeros, such as ABC000001, increasing by one on every stamped page. Choose the prefix, the first number and how many digits to use.
Text is placed relative to the page as you see it, so pages that are rotated still get upright headers and footers in the right corners. Any script works, including Urdu, Arabic and Cyrillic.
Assumptions and limits
- Pages left out of the page range get nothing, and they don't use up Bates numbers.
- The distance from the edge is measured to the baseline of the footer and the top of the header.
- Password-protected PDFs need the password removed first.
Worked examples
Numbered court bundle
Put {bates} in the footer right with prefix SMITH, first number 1 and 6 digits: pages are stamped SMITH000001, SMITH000002 and so on.
Report header
Header left: company name; header right: {date}; footer centre: Page {n} of {total}.
Skip the cover page
Enter 2-last as the pages so the cover stays clean while the rest are numbered.
How to use the Header & Footer PDF
- Add your PDF. Reports, bundles, contracts.
- Type the header and footer. Use placeholders for numbers and dates.
- Download. Every chosen page stamped.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add page numbers like "Page 3 of 10"?
Type Page {n} of {total} in the footer centre, which is filled in by default. Each page then shows its own number and the total number of pages in the document.
What are Bates numbers?
They're unique sequential numbers stamped on every page of a set of documents, used in legal cases, audits and archives so any page can be referred to exactly. They usually have a prefix and leading zeros.
Can I leave the first page without a header?
Yes. Enter the pages to stamp, for example 2-last, and the other pages are left untouched. Bates numbering then starts on the first page you chose.
Does it work on rotated or landscape pages?
Yes. The text is positioned on the page as it's displayed, so landscape and rotated pages get upright headers and footers in the right places.
Can I use Urdu or Arabic text?
Yes. Text in Urdu, Arabic and other scripts is drawn with an embedded Noto font that supports them, so it displays and prints correctly even on computers without those fonts installed.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you enter or upload stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.