Headers & Footers
Add headers, footers and Bates numbering.
How to use Headers & Footers
- 01
Upload your PDF
Add the document that needs headers, footers, or Bates numbers — legal filings, reports, manuals, or any multi-page PDF.
- 02
Configure the text
Enter your header and footer text. Use variables like {page}, {total}, and {date} for dynamic values. Set position, font size, and page range.
- 03
Download the stamped PDF
Preview the result and save a new PDF with headers and footers permanently applied to every page.
Tested and last verified on
About Headers & Footers
Stamp professional headers, footers and page numbers onto your PDF. Use dynamic variables like {page}, {total} and {date}, control position and font size, apply to all pages or a custom range — processed locally for privacy.
Professional headers, footers, and Bates stamps
Headers and footers turn a bare document into a properly labelled one: the reader always knows which page they are on, which document they are reading, and when it was printed. In legal work, Bates numbering goes further — it gives every page across an entire case file a unique, sequential identifier so that any page can be referenced precisely in court filings, depositions, and correspondence.
This tool stamps text into the header or footer zone of every page in your PDF. You write the text, choose its position (left, centre, or right, in the header or footer area), set the font size, and optionally restrict the stamps to a specific page range. Dynamic variables — {page}, {total}, {date} — are replaced with real values so the stamps stay accurate regardless of how many pages the document has.
How the stamping works
The tool draws text onto each page at the header or footer position you specified. Variables are resolved per-page: {page} becomes the page's actual number, {total} becomes the document's page count, and {date} becomes the current date. The text is added as a content layer on top of the existing page — nothing else on the page is moved, re-compressed, or altered.
For Bates numbering, use the {page} variable with a prefix and leading zeros. The sequential nature of page numbering maps directly to the sequential requirement of Bates stamps, giving each page a unique identifier within the document.
Who needs this and practical advice
Law firms stamp Bates numbers on discovery documents before filing. Corporate compliance teams add confidentiality notices to policy manuals. Publishers stamp draft headers on review copies. Accountants add date footers to printed financial reports for audit trails.
A practical tip: if your document already has printed page numbers at the bottom, place new headers at the top instead to avoid overlap. For legal filings, check the court's Bates formatting requirements (prefix format, number of digits) before stamping — reformatting hundreds of pages because the prefix was wrong is painful. And because the tool runs entirely in your browser, even privileged legal documents and financial records stay on your own device throughout the process.
Questions
Everything runs in your browser. How we keep files private
What dynamic variables can I use?
You can use {page} for the current page number, {total} for the total page count, and {date} for today's date. Combine them freely — for example, 'Page {page} of {total}' or 'Printed {date}'.
What is Bates numbering?
Bates numbering is a sequential numbering system used in legal and medical filings to identify and label each page uniquely. It typically includes a prefix followed by a zero-padded number (e.g. 'EXHIBIT-000001'). This tool can generate Bates numbers using the page variable with a prefix.
Can I apply headers to only some pages?
Yes. You can specify a custom page range, so the first few pages (like a cover and table of contents) can remain clean while the rest get numbered headers.
Is the process private?
Yes. Headers and footers are stamped entirely in your browser. Your document is never uploaded to any server.