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Stamp Headers and Footers on Every PDF Page

Add a header and footer with page numbers, file name and date to every PDF page.

Stamp Headers and Footers on Every PDF Page

Add a header and footer with page numbers, file name and date to every PDF page.

Why use PDFWix to add headers to PDFs

• Works on any PDF: Scans, merged packs and files you received — no source document needed.
• Smart placeholders: Page X of Y, file name and date are filled in automatically on every page.
• Batch stamping: Apply the same header and footer to a whole folder of PDFs in one pass.
• Confidential stays confidential: Contracts and reports are processed on your device, never uploaded.

Common uses for add headers toing PDFs

• Adding 'Page X of Y' and a title to reports and theses
• Marking every page of a contract 'Confidential — Draft'
• Putting a company name and date on board packs
• Labelling exhibits and appendices with the file name
• Adding a footer to scanned documents before filing

How to Insert a Header or Footer in a PDF

1. Add your PDFs — Drop one or more PDF files into the upload box.
2. Type header and footer — Use plain text plus placeholders: {n}, {total}, {file}, {date}. Leave a box empty to skip it.
3. Choose alignment and size — Left, centre or right, font size 6–36, and optionally skip the cover page.
4. Download — Click Add header & footer. Several files download as a ZIP or one by one.

Tips for PDF headers and footers

• Skip the cover — Turn on 'Skip the cover page' so the title page stays clean.
• Merge first — For one continuous page count across files, [Merge PDF](/merge-pdf) before stamping.
• Legal productions — Need unique IDs across documents? Use [Bates Numbering](/bates-numbering).
• Lock it in — Run [Flatten PDF](/flatten-pdf) afterwards if the PDF also has form fields to lock.

Ways to add a header to a PDF

Comparison of common methods.

Related tools

• Add Page Numbers
• Bates Numbering
• Add Watermark
• Merge PDF
• PDF tools for nonprofits

Quick answer

To add a header and footer to a PDF free: open PDFWix Header & Footer PDF, add your PDF, type the header (e.g. {file}) and footer (e.g. Page {n} of {total}), choose alignment and font size, and click Add header & footer. The stamped PDF downloads immediately.

How PDFWix Header & Footer PDF works

PDFWix Header & Footer PDF uses pdf-lib to draw text directly into each page's content stream, positioned inside the page's crop box with a 28-point margin, so headers land correctly even on cropped or mixed-size pages. Placeholders {n}, {total}, {file} and {date} are replaced per page. Existing text stays vector and searchable, and the file is processed in the browser, never uploaded.

Header, footer, page numbers and Bates — what's the difference?

A header or footer is repeating text at the top or bottom of each page: a title, author, date, confidentiality marking or page counter. Page numbers are just one kind of footer — if that is all you need, Page Numbers is quicker. Bates numbers are a legal convention: a unique prefixed sequence like ABC000123 that continues across every document in a production, handled by Bates Numbering. Word and Google Docs add headers before export, but once a document is a PDF — a scan, a merged pack, a file from someone else — you need a PDF tool. PDFWix writes the text into the page itself, so it prints, survives flattening and shows in every viewer, unlike comments or annotations that some readers hide.

At a glance

Placeholders: {n} {total} {file} {date} · Files at once: Batch supported · Processing: 100% in your browser

The bottom line

Combining documents first? Merge PDF them, then add one continuous header and footer here. For a diagonal CONFIDENTIAL stamp, use Watermark PDF.

Frequently asked questions

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

Open PDFWix Header & Footer PDF, add the file, type the header and footer text and click Add header & footer. It is free and needs no software.

Can I add 'Page 1 of 10' to a PDF?

Yes. Type Page {n} of {total} in the footer box.

Can I add the date or file name?

Yes. Use {date} for today's date and {file} for the file name.

Can I skip the first page?

Yes. Turn on 'Skip the cover page'.

Does it support non-English characters?

Headers use the standard Helvetica font, which covers Western European characters. Characters outside that set are replaced with a question mark.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. The header and footer are written by your browser.

Only need numbers? Use Page Numbers. Want the result smaller for email? Finish with Compress PDF.