How to add bookmarks to a PDF by page
Create a flat PDF outline with page numbers and chapter titles. Check destinations, cover-page offsets and the difference from a contents page.
To add bookmarks to a PDF, use Bookmark PDF and enter a page position and title for each entry. A PDF bookmark is a navigation link in a reader's outline panel. It helps a reader jump to a section without adding pages to the document.
Bookmarks are different from a contents page
A bookmark appears in the reader's navigation interface. A contents page is visible page content and can include links. If you need to combine several PDFs and add a visible contents sheet, follow the application-pack guide. The bookmark tool adds a flat outline to one PDF; it does not create that visible sheet.
Write the list using file-page positions
Choose one valid, unencrypted PDF within 50 MB. Use up to 200 entries, one per line, with this format:
1 | Cover
3 | Introduction
6 | ResultsThese entries point to file pages 1, 3 and 6. If the Introduction is printed as page 1 but follows a cover and contents sheet, its file position is 3. Use that actual position, rather than copying the printed number into the bookmark list.
Create and verify the outline
- Finish the document's page order first. If needed, organize the pages before calculating destinations.
- Open Bookmark PDF, choose the file and enter the list. Use short, descriptive titles with Latin characters.
- Select Save bookmarks, preview the pages and download a copy.
- Open the downloaded PDF in a reader with a bookmarks or outline panel. Open that panel and click every entry to check its destination.
Example: a report with two front pages
Suppose an eight-page report has a cover on file page 1, a contents sheet on page 2, Introduction on page 3 and Results on page 6. The example list adds three navigation entries without changing the eight-page count. Check Introduction and Results against the actual headings, not only the reader's page labels.
Existing outlines are replaced
The tool replaces the existing bookmark tree with your new flat list. It does not preserve nested chapters, infer headings automatically or edit individual entries in the original tree. Keep an original copy when its existing navigation matters.
A reader may hide its bookmarks panel by default, and some preview interfaces do not display outlines. Verify in a reader that supports them. Changing a viewer preference is only a request to a compatible reader, not a guarantee of how every app opens the file.
Recheck after later document edits
Merging, splitting or rearranging a PDF can remove navigation or change page positions. Create the outline after those operations, then review the final file. Rewriting a signed PDF can invalidate its signature; retain the signed original separately.
Prepared by PDF Tools Club · Updated October 18, 2026. Instructions reflect this release’s controls and limits.