How to Add a Header and Footer to a PDF Free Online

Adding a header or footer to a PDF lets you stamp every page with a document title, company name, date, confidentiality notice, or website URL. This guide explains how to do it for free — and covers methods for Adobe Acrobat, Word, and LibreOffice too.

The Fastest Method: Free PDF Header & Footer Tool (No Upload)

PDFWonder's Add Header & Footer tool lets you add custom text to the top and bottom of every PDF page instantly. No software installation and no upload required.

1. Go to the Add Header & Footer to PDF tool.
2. Drop your PDF onto the upload area or click to select it.
3. Enter your header text (e.g. your company name or document title).
4. Enter your footer text (e.g. a website URL or confidentiality notice).
5. Choose alignment (left, centre, or right) and font size.
6. Click Add Header & Footer & Download.

How to Add a Header and Footer in Adobe Acrobat

Acrobat Pro offers the most control for headers and footers:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
2. Go to Tools → Edit PDF → Header & Footer → Add.
3. Enter text in the header and/or footer fields. Use the date, page number, and Bates number buttons to insert dynamic content.
4. Adjust font, size, colour, and margins using the settings panel.
5. Click OK, then save the file.

Acrobat also lets you remove or update headers/footers from the same menu: Tools → Edit PDF → Header & Footer → Remove.

How to Add Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word (Then Export as PDF)

If you have the source document in Word format, add the header/footer before exporting to PDF:

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Go to Insert → Header or Insert → Footer.
3. Choose a layout and type your text.
4. Use the Insert → Page Number option to add dynamic page numbers.
5. Double-click outside the header/footer to return to the main document.
6. Export: File → Save As → PDF.

How to Add Headers and Footers in LibreOffice Writer

1. Go to Insert → Headers and Footers → Header → Default Page Style (to enable header).
2. Click inside the header area and type your text.
3. For page numbers: position the cursor in the header/footer → Insert → Field → Page Number.
4. Repeat for the footer: Insert → Headers and Footers → Footer.
5. Export as PDF: File → Export as PDF.

How to Add Headers and Footers in Google Docs

1. Open the document in Google Docs.
2. Go to Insert → Headers & Footers → Header or Footer.
3. Type your text in the header or footer area.
4. To add page numbers: Insert → Page Numbers → choose a layout.
5. Download as PDF: File → Download → PDF Document.

Common Header and Footer Use Cases

• Company branding: Add your company name or logo text to the header of all client-facing documents
• Confidentiality notices: Stamp "CONFIDENTIAL — Do Not Distribute" in the footer of sensitive reports
• Document versioning: Add "Version 2.1 — Draft" to the footer to track revision history
• Date stamps: Add the document date to the header for compliance records
• Website attribution: Add your URL to the footer when sharing PDFs publicly
• Legal notices: Add copyright or disclaimer text to every page of published documents