Page Numbers / Watermark

This tool adds page numbers, a text watermark, or both to every page of a PDF. You choose where the numbers go, which number to start from, an optional prefix, and the text, size and transparency of the watermark. The PDF is processed by Rust compiled to WebAssembly inside your browser tab, so a draft contract or an internal report can be stamped CONFIDENTIAL without being uploaded to anyone first.

When page numbers and a watermark are worth adding

Page numbers make a long document usable: reviewers can write "see page 14" instead of describing a paragraph, and a printed bundle can be put back in order if it is dropped. A visible watermark tells every reader what status the document has. Common cases include:

• Marking drafts as DRAFT so nobody signs or circulates the wrong version.
• Stamping CONFIDENTIAL or INTERNAL on reports, board packs and HR documents.
• Labelling a copy for a specific recipient, for example "COPY FOR ACME LTD", so a leaked page shows where it came from.
• Numbering exhibits, appendices and court bundles, where lawyers need stable page references.
• Adding "SAMPLE" to previews of paid reports or templates.

How to add page numbers and a watermark to a PDF

1. Drop a PDF onto the tool or click to select it. You can select several PDFs to process them with the same settings.
2. In the Page numbers panel, leave the switch On, then set the start number, an optional prefix, one of six positions (top left, top center, top right, bottom left, bottom center, bottom right), the number size and the margin from the page edge.
3. In the Watermark panel, leave the switch On and type your text. CONFIDENTIAL is filled in by default. Adjust the watermark size and opacity.
4. Turn either panel Off if you only want numbers or only want the watermark.
5. Click Apply & Download. You get yourfile-annotated.pdf, or a ZIP when several files were selected.

Page numbering options

• Start number: begin at 1, or at any higher number when the PDF continues a larger document, such as pages 31 onwards of a bundle.
• Prefix: text printed before the number, up to 32 characters. "Page " gives "Page 1", "A-" gives "A-1", and an exhibit code gives "EX12-1".
• Position: six positions at the top or bottom of the page, left, center or right.
• Size and margin: number size from 6 to 32 points, margin from 6 to 96 points, so the numbers can clear existing footers.

Every page is numbered in sequence; the tool does not skip a cover page or number a selected range. To leave a cover unnumbered, split the PDF, number the body, then merge the parts back together. A "Page X of Y" format with the total count is not available; the prefix covers formats such as "Page 7" or "p. 7".

Watermark options

The watermark is a single line of text, up to 200 characters, drawn diagonally at 45 degrees across the center of every page in a light gray. Size ranges from 10 to 120 points and opacity from 0.05 (barely visible) to 1 (solid). The default of 0.18 keeps the underlying text readable while making the mark obvious. The watermark uses the standard built-in Helvetica font, which renders Western European accents (é, ü, ß, ç) and the euro sign correctly; characters outside that set, such as Cyrillic or Chinese, appear as question marks. Short words such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or COPY read best. For an image watermark on photos rather than documents, use the image watermark tool.

Adding page numbers and a watermark at the same time, securely

Both panels are On by default, so a single click applies numbering and the watermark to every page in one pass. That answers the practical part of the question. The security part has two sides, and it helps to keep them apart.

First, where the processing happens. Many online stamping services upload your PDF to a server, process it there and send it back. For a document that deserves a CONFIDENTIAL mark, that upload is itself the risk. Here, the file is read into memory and modified by a WebAssembly module in your tab. No network request carries it, which you can check in your browser's Network tab, and the page keeps working offline once loaded.

Second, what the watermark actually protects. A visible text watermark is a label and a deterrent. It states the status of the document, discourages casual forwarding and makes screenshots traceable to a copy. It is not encryption, not a password and not DRM. The text is written into the page content, so anyone with a PDF editor can remove or cover it, and it does not stop anyone from opening, copying or printing the file. If the content must stay secret from people who obtain the file, protect it with encryption in a dedicated application or share it through an access controlled channel.

A sensible secure routine looks like this: stamp and number the document here, then open the PDF metadata editor to remove the author name and internal title from its properties, and finally record a SHA-256 fingerprint with the file checksum calculator so you can later prove which exact version you sent. All three steps run locally.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add page numbers without a watermark?

Yes. Switch the Watermark panel Off and only the numbers are added. The reverse also works.

Can I start numbering at a number other than 1?

Yes. Set any start number of 1 or higher. The first page of the PDF receives that number and the following pages count up from it.

Does a watermark protect my PDF from copying?

No. It is a visible mark that identifies and deters, not a technical protection. Someone with a PDF editor can remove it, and the file can still be copied and printed.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. Numbering and watermarking run in your browser through WebAssembly. The file never leaves your device and nothing is stored.

Are there size limits?

Each PDF can be up to 75 MB and 1,000 pages. There is no account, no daily quota and no tool branding added to your pages.

Related: read why stamping documents locally matters in our guide to adding a watermark to a PDF without uploading it, or browse all PDF tools.