Add headers, footers, or Bates numbers to a PDF
Populate six repeated-text positions with static text and page, page-count, date, or Bates tokens.
Quick answer
Add headers, footers, or Bates numbers to a PDF
To add a header or footer in PickPDF, choose one of the six top and bottom positions, enter text, and insert page, page-count, date, or Bates tokens where needed. Set the page range and appearance, preview several pages, and apply the change. PickPDF resolves the tokens for each page and embeds the result.

Step by step
How to use this tool in PickPDF
Define the repeated information
Choose static text, page numbering, date values, Bates numbers, or a combination required by the workflow.
Assign the six positions
Place content in the left, centre, or right slot at the top or bottom. Keep each slot short enough for the narrowest page.
Set page range and numbering
Exclude covers or dividers, choose starting values, and confirm the page-count rule.
Preview several page types
Check portrait, landscape, dark, scanned, and cropped pages before saving the stamped copy.
Current capabilities
What the current PickPDF build supports
- Six header and footer positions
- Current-page and total-page tokens
- Date tokens
- Bates numbering tokens
- Page-range control
- On-device repeated-text stamping
Tokens create page-specific text
Static text repeats without change. A page token resolves to the current page value, while a page-count token resolves to the total in the chosen document. Date and Bates tokens produce values according to their settings.
Combine tokens with short labels, such as Case, Page, or Confidential. Keep the result concise so long file identifiers and high page counts do not collide with another slot or the page content.
Bates numbering requires range planning
Bates numbers identify pages in discovery, records, and review workflows. Define the prefix, starting number, digit padding, suffix, and page range before applying the stamp. Record the final range outside the PDF when the process requires an audit trail.
PickPDF adds Bates text to the pages but does not replace the organization’s evidence-handling procedure. The responsible team should control source files, numbering assignments, duplicates, and production logs.
Repeated text should follow page organization
Insert, delete, rotate, and reorder pages before adding page-dependent headers or footers. Later page changes can break page counts, Bates order, or references printed in the document.
Use a saved copy and inspect the first, middle, and last page of every section. Check pages with existing header text, signatures, crops, and mixed orientation. PickPDF performs the stamping on the device.
Common questions
Questions about add headers, footers, or bates numbers to a pdf
Can PickPDF add Bates numbers?
Yes. Use Bates tokens with a chosen prefix, start, padding, suffix, and page range, then verify the final sequence.
Can I use different left and right footer text?
Yes. PickPDF provides left, centre, and right positions at both the top and bottom of the page.
Should I add headers before organizing pages?
Organize the page order first when the header uses page, page-count, or Bates tokens.