← Tools / 📝 Header & Footer
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Single PDF file
Header Content
Three positions — left, center, right. Leave blank to skip.
Footer Content
Variables:
{{page}}
{{total}}
{{date}}
Style
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How to Add Page Numbers and Headers to a PDF

LovelyPDF adds text headers and footers to every page of your PDF using pdf-lib. You can place text in six positions: left, centre, and right for both header and footer. Three dynamic variables are supported: {{page}} inserts the current page number, {{total}} inserts the total page count, and {{date}} inserts today's date. All six positions are independent and optional — fill only the ones you need.

  1. Upload your PDF by clicking or dragging it onto the tool
  2. Type the text you want in each header or footer position — leave unused positions blank
  3. Use {{page}} for page number, {{total}} for total pages, {{date}} for today's date
  4. Choose font size and adjust margin offsets if needed
  5. Click Apply Header & Footer and download the numbered PDF
Typical Page Numbering Formats

For most report submissions, the centred footer {{page}} gives a simple "1", "2", "3" format. For court filings that require "Page 1 of 15" style, use Page {{page}} of {{total}} in the centred footer position. For internal reports you can put your company name or document title in the left header and the date in the right header, with page numbers centred in the footer.

Adding page numbers before submitting documents is a critical requirement in Indian bureaucratic and professional contexts. High Court and tribunal filings require a page number at the bottom of every page. NCLT and NCLAT require page-numbered paper books. Academic reports for universities like Mumbai University and VTU specify page numbering formats in submission guidelines, often requiring "Page X of Y" in the footer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add headers to all pages except the cover page?
The tool applies headers and footers to every page. To skip the cover page, use Split PDF to extract it, add headers to the remaining pages, then Merge PDF to reassemble with the cover at the front.

What fonts are available for headers and footers?
Helvetica, Times New Roman, and Courier — the three standard PDF fonts supported across all PDF viewers without embedding. Hindi and regional language text is not supported as these fonts only contain Latin characters.

My document already has headers — will this overwrite them?
No. The tool adds new text on top of existing content. It does not detect or remove existing headers. If your document already has headers and you add new ones, both will appear.

Can I start page numbering from a number other than 1?
Currently page numbers start from 1 for the first page of the uploaded document. For documents that are part of a larger series, add headers to the full merged document using Merge PDF first.

How to Add Headers and Footers to a PDF

  1. Upload your PDF — the tool reads your document and prepares it for header and footer insertion using pdf-lib.
  2. Type text into any of the six position fields: left, centre, and right for both the header row and the footer row. Leave unused positions blank.
  3. Use the dynamic variables {{page}} for the current page number, {{total}} for the total page count, and {{date}} for today's date. These are replaced automatically on every page.
  4. Adjust font size and margin offsets if needed, then click Apply Header & Footer and download the numbered PDF.

Why use LovelyPDF

Headers and footers are added by pdf-lib running locally in your browser — your document is never transmitted to any server. For legal submissions, court filings, and official reports where document confidentiality is important, the entire numbering process is private and completes offline once the page has loaded.

No account is required. The tool supports all six placement positions, three standard fonts, and dynamic page numbering variables without sign-up. There is no page limit and no watermark on the output — add page numbers to a 200-page document as easily as a two-page letter.

The tool works on any device. Number an urgent filing submission from your phone before uploading to a court portal, or add company headers to a quarterly report on your laptop before sending to clients. The same straightforward interface is available on all browsers and platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start page numbering from a number other than 1? +

The tool numbers pages starting from 1 for the first page of the uploaded document. For multi-part documents where a section must continue numbering from a previous file, merge all parts into a single PDF using Merge PDF first, then add page numbers to the complete document in one pass.

What fonts are available for headers and footers? +

Helvetica, Times New Roman, and Courier — the three standard PDF base fonts supported across all PDF viewers without requiring font embedding. These render consistently on any PDF reader and on any operating system. Regional language text and custom fonts are not currently supported in the header and footer tool.

Can I add a header to all pages except the cover page? +

Use Split PDF to extract the cover page, add headers to the remaining pages, then use Merge PDF to reassemble with the original cover at the front. This lets you apply numbering only to the interior pages while preserving a clean cover.

My document already has printed page numbers — will the tool create duplicates? +

Yes — the tool adds new header and footer text on top of whatever is already printed in the document. If existing page numbers are part of the original design, they will remain alongside the new ones. To avoid duplication, crop or white-out the existing numbers using the Crop & Resize or Edit PDF tool before adding fresh numbering.