What exactly do the placeholders produce?

{page} is the current page number starting at 1, {total} is the document's page count, and {date} is today's date formatted per your browser's locale. 'Page {page} of {total}' on a 12-page file renders as 'Page 1 of 12' through 'Page 12 of 12'.

Can different sections have different headers?

Each run applies one set of texts to all pages. For per-section headers, split the document with Split PDF, stamp each part with its own header, and merge them back — note that {page} restarts at 1 within each part.

Will the text collide with my document's existing headers?

It can, since the stamp is drawn on top of whatever is already near the edge. Pick slots your layout leaves empty — if the document already has centered footers, put your text bottom-left or bottom-right instead.

Can I change the font, size, or color?

The style is fixed: 9-point Helvetica in gray, positioned a consistent distance from the page edges. It's intentionally unobtrusive. For bolder or positioned text, the Edit PDF tool gives you font size and exact coordinates.

How does this differ from the Page Numbers and Bates tools?

This is the free-form option: any text, six positions, three placeholders. Page Numbers is the one-click version for plain numbering; Bates Numbering produces zero-padded sequential IDs with prefixes for legal productions.

Add Header & Footer

Add headers and footers to your PDF pages. Files are processed entirely in your browser.

Drop PDF files here or browse

Max 100MB per file

About Add Headers and Footers to PDF

A header or footer gives every page of a document its context: what it is, when it was produced, where you are in it. Convertora's tool adds custom text to the top and bottom of every page, with six independent slots — left, center, and right positions for both header and footer — so you can put the document title top-left, the date top-right, and 'Page 3 of 12' bottom-center, all in one pass.

Three placeholders make the text dynamic: {page} becomes the page number, {total} the page count, and {date} today's date. Combine them with literal text freely — 'Confidential — Page {page} of {total}' renders exactly as you'd hope on every page.

The text is drawn directly into the page content in a small, neutral gray type that stays out of the document's way, and the original file never leaves your browser.

How to use it

1Upload your PDF (up to 100 MB).
2Fill in any of the six text slots: header left/center/right and footer left/center/right. Leave unused slots empty.
3Use {page}, {total}, and {date} wherever you want dynamic values — mixed with ordinary text as needed.
4Click Apply. Headers are drawn near the top edge of every page and footers near the bottom, aligned to their slots, in 9-point gray Helvetica.
5Download the result, saved with a -header-footer suffix.

Common use cases

Stamping a version label and date on every page of a draft so printed copies are identifiable.
Adding 'Confidential' to the header and page numbers to the footer of a distribution copy in one pass.
Branding exported reports with a company or project name across the top.
Marking case names or matter numbers on documents prepared for review.

Frequently asked questions

Tips

The {date} placeholder stamps today's date — the day you run the tool — not the document's creation date. Type a literal date if you need a specific one.
Keep edge text short. Long strings in the left and right slots of the same edge can meet in the middle on narrow pages.

100% private — runs in your browser

Convertora processes everything on your device using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Files never leave your browser, are never uploaded to a server, and are never seen by us or anyone else. The moment you close the tab, the data is gone — there is no temporary cloud copy, no log entry, no retained backup.

Because the work happens locally, processing speed depends on your device — but there are no rate limits, no daily caps, and no file size restrictions beyond what your browser can handle in memory. No signup, no account, no payment. The tool works the same in incognito mode, on a corporate network, or after the page has loaded once, even with the network disconnected.