Skip to main content
L
Loopaloo
Buy Us a Coffee
All ToolsImage ProcessingAudio ProcessingVideo ProcessingDocument & TextPDF ToolsCSV & Data AnalysisConverters & EncodersWeb ToolsMath & ScienceGames
Guides & BlogAboutContact
Buy Us a Coffee
L
Loopaloo

Free online tools for developers, designers, and content creators. All processing happens entirely in your browser - your files never leave your device. No uploads, no accounts, complete privacy.

support@loopaloo.com

Tool Categories

  • Image Tools
  • Audio Tools
  • Video Tools
  • Document & Text
  • PDF Tools
  • CSV & Data
  • Converters
  • Web Tools
  • Math & Science
  • Games

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • FAQ

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

Support

Buy Us a Coffee

© 2026 Loopaloo. All rights reserved. Built with privacy in mind.

Privacy|Terms|Disclaimer
  1. Home
  2. PDF Tools
  3. PDF Header/Footer Adder
Add to favorites

PDF Header/Footer Adder

Add custom headers and footers with page numbers

Adding consistent headers and footers to a PDF gives it a professional, finished look. This tool lets you insert page numbers, dates, titles, or custom text at the top and bottom of every page. You can control fonts, alignment, and which pages receive the header or footer.

PDFs never leave your deviceMore pdf toolsJump to full guide

Related reading

  • PDF Accessibility: Making Documents Everyone Can Read11 min read

Initializing in your browser…

You might also like

PDF Watermark Adder

Add text watermarks to protect your PDFs

PDF Page Remover

Remove specific pages from a PDF document

PDF to Images

Render each PDF page as a PNG or JPG image

PDF Header/Footer Adder: a worked example

A report needs page numbers and a confidentiality line added to every page before sending.

Input

report.pdf · footer "Page {n} of {total}" + "Confidential"
PDF Header/Footer Adder produces

Output

report.pdf with consistent headers/footers and live page numbers

Dynamic tokens like page number and total are filled per page, so a 60-page document gets correct numbering without manual editing. Margins are respected so the added text never collides with existing content.

About the PDF Header/Footer Adder

Adding consistent headers and footers to a PDF gives it a professional, finished look. This tool lets you insert page numbers, dates, titles, or custom text at the top and bottom of every page. You can control fonts, alignment, and which pages receive the header or footer.

Working with your PDF

  1. 1Upload the PDF you want to add headers or footers to.
  2. 2Enter the text for the header, footer, or both. Use {page} and {total} for dynamic numbering.
  3. 3Choose the font size and alignment (left, center, right).
  4. 4Check the preview, then download the updated PDF (header and footer apply to all pages).

Key features

  • Separate header and footer text fields
  • Dynamic {page} and {total} placeholders in the output
  • Left, center, and right alignment options
  • Adjustable font size (embedded Helvetica)
  • Quick presets like "Page X of Y"
  • Live preview of the layout

Common scenarios

  • Page numbering

    Add "Page X of Y" footers to long documents for easy navigation.

  • Document titles

    Place the document title or section name in the header of every page for quick identification.

  • Reference labels

    Add a fixed reference or version label to the header or footer so readers know which document they are viewing.

  • Legal and compliance

    Add required disclaimers or reference numbers to every page of a contract or regulatory filing.

  • Academic papers

    Insert a running header with the author name and paper title as required by many submission guidelines.

Tips & best practices

  • Use {page}/{total} in a footer for a compact page indicator like "3/12".
  • Keep header and footer text short so it does not collide with content near the page edges.
  • Use the quick presets to insert a correctly formatted "Page X of Y" footer in one click.

How it works

Headers and footers are rendered as text overlays on each page using pdf-lib with an embedded Helvetica font in black. The output substitutes two dynamic placeholders: {page} for the current page number and {total} for the total page count, so a footer like "Page {page} of {total}" becomes "Page 3 of 12". The header sits near the top of each page and the footer near the bottom, with left, center, or right alignment and an adjustable font size. The same header and footer are applied to every page.

The editor UI also offers additional tokens ({date}, {time}, {year}) and a text-color picker for the on-screen preview, but be aware that the generated PDF currently substitutes only {page} and {total} and renders the text in black, so those extra tokens and the color choice affect the preview rather than the final file.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add a header without a footer, or vice versa?

Yes. Leave either field blank and only the one you fill in will be added.

Will the header overlap my existing content?

Headers sit near the top edge and footers near the bottom edge. If your document already has content at the very edge, the preview shows where the text will land so you can adjust the wording or size.

What placeholders are available in the output?

The generated PDF substitutes {page} for the current page number and {total} for the total page count. Other tokens shown in the editor are reflected in the preview but are not substituted in the downloaded file.

Can I use different headers on different pages?

No. The same header and footer are applied to every page. For different headers on different pages, process those page ranges separately.

Further reading

  • PDF Accessibility: Making Documents Everyone Can Read11 min read

Private by design

PDF parsing and editing happen in your browser. Documents, and everything inside them, are never uploaded or stored remotely.