What headers and footers are for
A header or footer is repeated text at the top or bottom of every page: a document title, a company name, a reference number, a version, a confidentiality notice, or a date. It helps readers orient themselves, keeps loose printed pages together, and identifies the source of a document that gets copied or shared.
What you can set
Header & Footer lets you type header text, footer text, or both, choose for each whether it sits on the left, center, or right, and pick a color for each. A live preview shows how your text will look on the page before you apply it. The text is applied identically to every page of the document at a small, readable size.
The text is applied exactly as you type it. This tool does not insert page numbers or dates automatically, so type the date you want, and use the Page Numbers tool if you need numbering — the two tools can be used one after the other.
Placement and limits
The header sits about 25 points below the top edge and the footer about 25 points above the bottom edge. Most documents leave space there, but if your pages run content right up to the edge, the text may overlap it, so check the preview. The text is on a single line, so keep it short; characters the standard PDF font cannot display, such as non-Latin scripts, are replaced with a question mark.
Good uses and combinations
Common uses are “Confidential — Do not distribute” in a footer, a document reference in the header, or a draft label while a document is under review. For a diagonal label across the middle of a page, use Watermark; for a status such as Approved or Draft, use Stamp PDF. The work runs in your browser, so the PDF is not uploaded.