Can I add bookmarks to a PDF?

A long PDF is hard to move around in. You scroll and scroll to find the lease terms, or chapter four, or the page with the pricing. Bookmarks fix that. They give the file a clickable list of titles, so a reader can jump straight to what they need.

You can add them yourself in your browser with Add Bookmarks to PDF. This guide shows the steps, how to nest bookmarks, and what to do when something does not work.

What is a PDF bookmark?

A bookmark is a title that jumps to a page. PDF readers show bookmarks in a panel at the side, sometimes called the PDF outline, so a long report, lease or manual is easy to move around in. The pages themselves are not changed.

Bookmarks are one of several parts a PDF can hold. For the full list, read what a PDF is.

How do I add bookmarks to a PDF?

Add the file, press Add a bookmark, type a title and enter a page number, or press Pick page to choose from thumbnails. Repeat for each bookmark, then press Save bookmarks and download the new PDF. Your original file is not changed.

1. Add your PDF. Drop it onto the tool or choose it from your device. Any bookmarks the file already has appear in the list.
2. Press Add a bookmark and type a title.
3. Type the page number it should open, or press Pick page and click the page you want in the thumbnails.
4. Repeat for each bookmark. Drag them, or use the up and down buttons, to put them in order.
5. Use the indent button to nest a bookmark under the one above it. Use outdent to bring it back out.
6. Press Save bookmarks and download the file.
7. Open the saved file in a PDF reader and look for the bookmarks panel.

Undo steps back through your changes, so you can try an order and take it back.

A worked example

Say you send clients a 60-page report. You add one bookmark for each chapter, such as Summary, Findings and Next steps. Then you add a bookmark for each section and press indent, so it sits under its chapter.

A landlord can do the same with a rental packet. Bookmark the lease terms, the move-in checklist and the house rules, then send one file. The tenant clicks a title and lands on the right page.

How do I nest bookmarks under each other?

Press the indent button on a bookmark. It moves one level in and becomes a child of the bookmark above it. You can nest up to eight levels. Moving, indenting or deleting a bookmark takes the ones nested under it along.

Can I make bookmarks from the headings automatically?

Yes, as a starting point. Press Suggest from headings and the tool lists each line set larger than the body text, with its page. You tick the ones you want and can rename them. Headers repeated on many pages are left out.

It reads real text, so a scan gives no suggestions. A scan is a picture of a page. To give it words first, use OCR PDF, then try again. You can always add bookmarks by hand.

What happens to the bookmarks I already have?

They are listed and kept. You can rename, move or delete them, and the ones you leave alone keep their exact place on the page. Bookmarks that open a web address are kept as they are.

This matters after you join files. Bookmarks from the originals may not carry over when you merge PDF files, so merge first, then add bookmarks to the finished file. For a full example of joining files, see how to combine bank statements into one PDF.

Common problems and fixes

• Suggest from headings finds nothing. The file may be a scan, or the headings may be the same size as the body text. Add bookmarks by hand, or run OCR first.
• A bookmark opens the wrong page. Open it in the list and change the page number, or press Pick page and choose again.
• A bookmark sits at the wrong level. Press indent or outdent until it matches its place in the document.
• You cannot see the bookmarks panel. Open the panel in your PDF reader. The file opens with it showing in readers that support that, unless the file already said how it should open.
• The page numbers shifted after you added pages. Bookmarks point at pages, so check them after you change the page order. If you also want printed numbers on the pages, use Add Page Numbers.

Where does your file go?

Reports, leases and manuals can hold names and prices. Add Bookmarks to PDF reads your file and writes the bookmarks in your browser tab, so the file is not sent to our servers. The bookmarks you delete or rename do not stay behind in the file as hidden copies.

A short checklist

• Keep a copy of your original PDF.
• Give every bookmark a short, clear title.
• Nest sections under their chapters.
• Click a few bookmarks in the saved file to check each one lands on the right page.

2 free uses in total, no account needed. Free files can be up to 50 MB, and Pro allows up to 500 MB.

Sources

• PDFinish's own Add Bookmarks to PDF page, for the steps, nesting, Suggest from headings and what happens to existing bookmarks, as of November 2026.