Add Watermark to PDF Online Free
Need to slap DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL across your PDF? This does it. Every page, semi-transparent, diagonal.
Drag & drop PDF file here
or click to browse
Original
Watermarked
Semi-transparent diagonal text. Visible but doesn't block content.
What people watermark and why
Watermarks aren't just for stock photos. Plenty of everyday situations call for stamping text across a PDF.
Marking documents as DRAFT
You're circulating a contract or proposal that isn't final yet. Slapping DRAFT across every page makes it obvious. Nobody can accidentally treat version 3 as the real thing when there's a big gray word telling them otherwise.
Stamping CONFIDENTIAL on sensitive files
HR documents, financial reports, legal agreements — anything you don't want floating around freely. The watermark won't stop someone from sharing it, but it makes crystal clear that they shouldn't.
Adding your company name before sharing externally
When you send PDFs to clients, vendors, or partners, a company name watermark marks it as yours. If that document ends up somewhere unexpected, there's no question where it came from.
Marking files as SAMPLE or PREVIEW
Selling templates, guides, or reports? Watermark the preview copy so people can see what they're getting without being able to use it as the real deal. Common for designers, authors, and course creators.
Adding DO NOT COPY to internal documents
Training materials, internal playbooks, proprietary processes — things that should stay inside the company. A DO NOT COPY watermark won't physically prevent copying, but it sets the expectation clearly.
How it works
Upload your PDF
Drag it in or browse.
Type what you want stamped
DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, whatever.
It gets applied to every page
Diagonal, semi-transparent.
Download
Save and you're done.
What it actually looks like
Gray diagonal text across the center of each page. 48pt Helvetica, 15% opacity. Visible enough to be noticed, faint enough that you can read everything underneath without any trouble. Every page gets the same stamp — same position, same size, same angle. The text runs from the lower-left toward the upper-right, which is the standard watermark orientation you see on most professional documents. It won't shift around or resize based on content. Whether your page is mostly text, a full-page image, or completely blank, the watermark lands in the same spot every time.
Watermark vs password protection
A watermark is visual. It tells people "this is a draft" or "don't share this" — but it doesn't actually stop them from doing anything. Someone can still print it, copy text from it, or forward it to whoever they want. Think of it like a "wet floor" sign. It communicates something, but it doesn't physically prevent you from walking on the floor.
Password protection is different. It actually locks the file down. You can prevent printing, block copying, or require a password just to open the document. If you need that kind of control, check out pdflocker.io — it lets you add passwords and set specific restrictions. For sensitive stuff, you might want both: a watermark so people see the warning, and a password so they can't ignore it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I write whatever I want?
Any text. DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, your company name, your cat's name. Anything.
Will people still be able to read the document?
The watermark is really faint — 15% opacity. Content underneath is totally readable.
Can I undo it later?
Once it's baked in, it stays. Keep your original file if you might need a clean version.
What does it look like?
Gray diagonal text across the middle of each page. Subtle but visible.
Any cost?
Free. No account needed.
Does it work on phone?
Yeah, it runs in your browser.
Can I change the angle of the watermark?
Right now it's a fixed diagonal — roughly 45 degrees across the page. That's the standard angle most people expect for watermarks, and it covers the page well without being too distracting.
What about adding a logo instead of text?
This tool is text-only. If you need an image or logo watermark, you'd need a desktop app like Adobe Acrobat. We might add image watermarks in the future, but no promises on timing.
Can I watermark only certain pages?
Nope, it stamps every page. If you only want some pages watermarked, you could split the PDF first, watermark the pages you want, then merge everything back together.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Yes. The watermark gets placed on top of whatever's on the page, whether that's text, images, or a scanned document. It doesn't care what's underneath.
Can I change the opacity?
It's set at 15% — that's the sweet spot where it's noticeable but doesn't make the document hard to read. There's no slider to adjust it right now.
What if my watermark text is really long?
Long text gets smaller to fit the page. A single word like DRAFT will be nice and big, but a full sentence will shrink down. Keep it short for the best result — one or two words is ideal.
Will the watermark show when I print?
Yes. It's part of the PDF now, so it prints just like everything else. That's kind of the point — you want it visible whether someone's reading on screen or on paper.
Can I add multiple different watermarks?
One watermark per run. If you need different text on different pages, you'd need to split the PDF, watermark each part separately, then merge them. A bit of a workaround, but it gets the job done.
Built by
Sanskar Tiwari
Founder of IndianAppGuy Tech. Shipped 25+ products to 2M+ users, including MagicSlides and SheetAI. I build tools that solve real problems without making you sign up for stuff you don't need.