# Add a header and footer to a PDF > To add a header and footer to a PDF, add the file, type the text for the left, center and right of the top and bottom, and use {page}, {pages}, {date} and {filename} where you want them filled in. Choose the pages, check the preview and save. Page: https://pdfinish.com/add-header-and-footer-to-pdf Last updated: November 3, 2026 ## How to add a header and footer to a PDF in 3 steps 1. **Add your PDF.** Drop the document onto the tool, or choose it from your device. A preview of the first page you stamp appears once you add it. 2. **Type your header and footer.** Fill the left, center and right boxes of each. Use {page} for the page number, {pages} for the total, {date} for a date and {filename} for the file's name. Pick the font, size, color, how far from the edges, and which pages. 3. **Check the preview and save.** The preview shows the real result on one page, drawn by the same code that saves the file. Press Add header and footer to download the new PDF. ## Key facts - Privacy: We don't sell your data. This tool runs in your browser, so your files stay on your device and are never uploaded. - Ads: none. No third-party ads and no ad cookies. - Limits: 2 free uses in total, no account needed, and no limit on uses with Pro. Files up to 50 MB free, 500 MB with Pro. Limits are checked before a use starts, never after. - Price: free to start. Pro is $2.99 a month or $24 a year. Lifetime is $50 for the first 500 founders. Pro cancels in one click. - Works on: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android. Nothing to install. - Add a PDF header and footer with a left, center and right box for each. Leave a box empty to print nothing there. - Type {page}, {pages}, {date} or {filename} and it is filled in for each page. - Latin, Greek and Cyrillic letters work. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Hebrew do not yet. ## Handy for contracts and leases If you freelance, put DRAFT and the date at the top of a contract and Page 2 of 5 at the bottom. If you rent out a unit, put the property address in the header and the page count in the footer of a lease, and skip the cover page. ## Common questions ### How do I add a header and footer to a PDF? Add the file, type text in the header and footer boxes (left, center and right), choose the pages and press Add header and footer. The text is drawn on each page you chose and the new file downloads from the result screen. To add a header to a PDF without a footer, leave the footer boxes empty. ### How do I put page numbers in the footer? Type Page {page} of {pages} in a footer box. {page} becomes the number of each page and {pages} the total. If you only want page numbers with more choices, such as a start number, use Add Page Numbers to PDF. ### Can I add the date and the file name? Yes. Type {date} for a date and {filename} for the file's name without .pdf. The date is today's unless you pick another, and you choose how it is written: 10/26/2026, 26/10/2026 or October 26, 2026. ### Can I leave the first page without a header or footer? Yes. Tick Skip the first page, which is good for a cover. You can also choose Only some pages and type a range such as 2-5, 8-. ### Can I change the font, size and color? Yes. Choose Helvetica, Times or Courier, a size from 6 to 72, and one of the colors. You can also set how far the text sits from the page edges, in inches or millimetres. The text is printed on top of the page and does not move or remove anything, so if your pages have content near the edge, raise the distance and check the preview. Text in Greek or Cyrillic uses a font that has those letters. ### Is my file uploaded when I use Add Header and Footer? No. Your pages are stamped in your browser. The file is not sent to our servers. ### Is Add Header and Footer free, and are there limits? You can use it free. You get 2 free uses in total, no account needed. Free files can be up to 50 MB. Pro has no limit on uses and allows files up to 500 MB. We check the limits before a use starts, so a finished file is never held back. ### Can I use Add Header and Footer on a Windows PC? Yes. Open this page in Chrome or Edge on your PC, add your file and download the result. Nothing to install, and your file stays on your device. ## Related tools - [Add Page Numbers to PDF](https://pdfinish.com/add-page-numbers): Stamp page numbers onto every page of a PDF. - [Add Watermark to PDF](https://pdfinish.com/watermark-pdf): Place text across your pages, such as DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL. - [PDF Editor](https://pdfinish.com/edit-pdf): Change a line of text, or add text, shapes and images. - [Merge PDF](https://pdfinish.com/merge-pdf): Combine several PDFs into one file, in the order you choose. - [Bates Numbering](https://pdfinish.com/bates-numbering): Stamp Bates numbers on every page, continuing across files, with a CSV log.