How to Add a Watermark to a PDF — Free

Updated for 2026

A watermark tells readers a document is a draft, confidential, or a sample. Add a text watermark diagonally across every page — free, in your browser, no software to install.

Quick answer: Open the watermark tool, type the text (e.g. DRAFT), choose opacity, add your PDF, and click. The watermark is drawn onto each page.

Add a watermark — free, in your browser

Real-world use — what we verified

We stamped DRAFT diagonally across a 12-page draft and it sat behind the content at 15% opacity.

Honest note: the watermark is visual text drawn on each page — it discourages casual reuse but isn't a security lock.

Why watermark

Drafts — stop someone treating a work-in-progress as final.
Confidential — signal “don't redistribute” on internal files.
Samples — mark preview pages before sending the real thing.

Step-by-step

Open the watermark tool.
Type your text (DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, SAMPLE — up to 40 characters).
Pick opacity — 15% is visible but unobtrusive; 25% is bolder.
Add your PDF and click “Add watermark”.

What it can't do

One centered watermark per page — it is not tiled repeatedly across the sheet (that needs a different layout).
Text only — image/logo watermarks aren't supported here; the tool draws text.
Removal — the watermark is baked into the page, so “undo” means re-creating the PDF; keep an un-watermarked original.

FAQ

Is the watermark removable later?

It's drawn into the page, so you can't toggle it off. Keep an un-watermarked copy, or use the unlock/merge tools to rebuild from source.

Does it work on scanned PDFs?

Yes — the text is drawn on top of whatever is on the page, scanned image or not.

Can I use my company logo?

This tool supports text watermarks only. For a logo you'd need an image-based tool or desktop software.