Add watermark to PDF online free

1. Upload your PDF. The tool reads page count locally in your browser.
2. Configure a text stamp (Confidential, Draft, custom text) or upload a PNG/JPG logo watermark.
3. Place the watermark—position, opacity, rotation, and which pages receive it—then apply.
4. Download the new PDF (saved with a -watermarked suffix). Your original file stays unchanged.

Need to combine files before stamping? Use PDF merge. To protect the finished document, try PDF password protect. Browse all PDF tools.

A PDF watermark is text or an image that is placed inside the document as a visible overlay or stamp. People use watermarks to mark documents as drafts, show that a file is internal-only, identify a brand, or add a review status such as Approved or Rejected. In many workflows, a watermark is not meant to block access; it is meant to communicate context immediately when the document is opened or printed.

Watermarks can be subtle or strong. A very light diagonal watermark across the page is common for draft review copies, while a centered stamp is often used for confidential documents or approval states. Image watermarks can be useful when you want to place a logo or branded badge into the PDF itself instead of a separate annotation layer.

Watermarks make PDFs easier to classify and safer to share. A document that says Draft or Internal Use Only is less likely to be mistaken for a final public copy. A confidential stamp makes review intent obvious before someone forwards the file. A branded watermark can make invoices, training material, and internal handouts look more polished and consistent.

They are also practical in everyday business operations. Watermarks help teams distinguish between versions, make review cycles easier to manage, and discourage casual reuse of content without permission. When used thoughtfully, they are a simple visual signal that improves clarity without forcing a complicated approval system.

Text watermarks are the fastest and most flexible option when you need a status label such as Confidential, Draft, Approved, or Sample. They are lightweight, easy to customize, and work well as diagonal overlays because you can control font size, color, opacity, rotation, bold, and italic styling.

Image watermarks are better when you need a logo, seal, badge, or branded mark. They are ideal for company documents, product sheets, and client-facing deliverables. The trade-off is that image files can be larger than plain text, so the right balance usually depends on how visible and how branded you want the result to be.

UseBoldTools adds watermarks with pdf-lib entirely in your browser. The PDF is not uploaded to a server for watermarking, which suits contracts, payroll PDFs, internal drafts, and client deliverables that should stay on your device.

Adjust placement and re-apply without a remote queue. For encrypted inputs, unlock first with PDF unlock when you know the password, then watermark the copy.

The PDF remains on your device during processing. UseBoldTools does not store your file for watermark generation, and the watermark settings are not written to localStorage or sessionStorage. If you reset the tool, the source PDF reference, watermark settings, preview image, and generated output are cleared from the page state.

One limitation is worth calling out clearly: the behind-content option is a best-effort feature when using browser-side PDF libraries. In most cases you will get a clean watermark overlay, but some PDFs or PDF viewers may render elements in a slightly different order. That is normal for client-side PDF editing libraries, so the tool is designed to be honest about it rather than pretending to control every PDF internals detail.

• Contracts with draft or review stamps before final approval.
• Invoices that need branding or "Paid" marks for internal records.
• Salary slips and payroll documents that need confidentiality cues.
• Legal documents where version control and visible status matter.
• Internal documents that should remain clearly marked as non-public.
• Training material distributed in draft, sample, or review form.
• Company branding for client packets, brochures, and team handouts.