Header & Footer: Tokens, Start Number and Margins
Headers and footers are the furniture of a document: a short line repeated on every page. Because it repeats, a token error or a start number that ignores the cover is multiplied across the file.
Why this comes up
The header line is read on every page, including the ones you forgot to exclude. A cover page with a footer, a missing token or a number that restarts halfway through is visible to every reader.
Check before you run it
- Use the token, not a typed number. [PAGE_ARABIC] follows the page and [TOTAL_PAGES_ARABIC] counts the document. Typing 1 on every page is the mistake the tokens exist to prevent.
- Set the start number before you judge page one. Start at 1 for a normal document; if the PDF continues another volume, start where that volume stopped.
- Give the line room with the margin option. Leaving margins unchanged stamps at the page edge, which can collide with existing content. Increase margins scales the content down a little so the line has clear space inside the page.
When to reach for it
- A document will be printed and collated. A footer such as Policy 2026, Page [PAGE_ARABIC] of [TOTAL_PAGES_ARABIC] keeps loose sheets identifiable and in order.
- A controlled document needs its issue date on every page. Type the date into the line alongside the page tokens; one pass applies it to the pages you select.
One question we get
Can I skip numbering the cover page?
Yes — switch first-page-off on and the cover stays clean while headers start on page two. You can also choose the starting number and exactly what the line says.
Where it fits
The tools people usually open next to Header & Footer:
- Bates Numbering — Bates stamp multiple files at once.
- Deskew — Automatically straighten and deskew scanned PDF pages.
- Create Bookmarks — Add, modify and remove bookmarks from PDF document outline
Every tool works on a copy, so the original file is never touched. Uploads are stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically two hours after you last open them; nothing is listed, shared or indexed. More on the security page.