Add running headers and footers to a PDF — titles, dates, page X of N, filenames
Updated 22 August 2026
Headers & Footers adds running text to the pages you choose — every page by default — a title, the date, "page X of N", the filename — with margins and alignment you set and a distinct first page if you need one. The text is real page content, searchable and selectable, and the file is processed on your device.
How to add running headers and footers to a PDF — document title, date, page X of N, filename — with a separate first page, in your browser.
UnboundPDF is a free suite of 54 PDF and image tools that run entirely in your browser — merge, split, compress, edit text, OCR in 126 languages, redact, sign, convert and archive to PDF/A. Your document is read and written by the page on your own device; there is no document-upload endpoint in the core tools, no account, no watermark and no daily cap. Every result can be checked — with the Network tab, or with the Document Passport the Workspace writes for a chain of steps.
- Open Headers & Footers and add the PDF.
- Type the header and footer text, inserting page X of N, the date or the filename where you want them; set alignment and margins.
- Turn on a distinct first page for title pages if needed, run, and download.
Open Headers & Footers to do this in your browser — the steps above are the whole procedure; the rest of this page is what to expect at each one.
What goes in a header or footer
A document title and a draft date at the top; page X of N, a filename or a short confidentiality line at the bottom. Keep them small and in the margins; the preview shows the first page so you can judge the fit before committing to the whole document.
Title pages
Turn on the distinct first page to leave a cover sheet clean while numbering starts on page two, or to give the first page its own text.
Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android
Same page everywhere; download lands in your usual folder.
Troubleshooting
The footer collides with content. Increase the bottom margin or reduce the size. I only need numbers. Add Page Numbers is the simpler tool. Encrypted file. Unlock PDF first.
Related
Add Page Numbers · Bates Numbering · Watermark PDF · Workspace
Frequently asked questions
Can the footer say "Page 3 of 12"?
Yes — the page-X-of-N field fills in per page with the document's real count.
Will it overwrite existing headers?
No; it adds text in the margins you set. If the document already has a header there, increase the margin or choose the other edge.
Is the text searchable?
Yes. Headers and footers are written as page content, not images.