How to Add a Watermark to a PDF (Confidential, Draft, Copy)
October 16, 2026
A watermark is the quickest way to say "this isn't the final version" or "don't pass this around" on every page of a document. Here's how to add one, which wording works best, and what a watermark does and doesn't protect against.
How to watermark a PDF
- Open Add Watermark.
- Drop in your PDF.
- Type the watermark text. It starts as
CONFIDENTIAL; change it to whatever you need. - Set the opacity (10% to 80%). The default, 30%, is easy to see without hiding the text underneath.
- Click to apply. The watermarked PDF downloads straight away.
The text is placed diagonally (45°) across the middle of every page, in bold grey. The file never leaves your device, which matters when the whole point of the watermark is that the document is confidential.
Which watermark text to use
| Watermark | When to use it |
|---|---|
| CONFIDENTIAL | Contracts, salary details, internal reports, anything with personal data |
| DRAFT | Versions that are still being reviewed, so nobody treats them as final |
| COPY | A duplicate of an original document, e.g. a certificate or a deed |
| SAMPLE | Templates, demos, portfolio pieces you don't want reused as-is |
| DO NOT DISTRIBUTE | Documents shared with one person or team only |
Keep it short. One or two words work best. The text is a fixed size, so a long sentence can run off the edge of the page. If you need to say who a copy is for, a short phrase like COPY FOR HDFC usually fits.
Use English or other Latin letters. The watermark uses a standard PDF font that covers English and most European accented letters (é, ü, ñ). It can't draw Hindi or other non-Latin scripts, or symbols like ₹, so the tool shows an error if your text contains them.
Choosing the opacity
- 15% to 25%: subtle. Good for DRAFT on a document people still need to read comfortably.
- 30% (the default): clearly visible, text underneath still easy to read.
- 50% and above: hard to ignore. Good for SAMPLE or COPY when you want to discourage reuse, but it gets in the way of reading.
Open the result and zoom in on a dense page before you send it. If the text underneath is hard to read, go lower.
What a watermark can and can't do
A watermark is a label, not a lock. It makes a document's status obvious and discourages casual misuse, and on a printout or a screenshot it stays visible. But someone with a PDF editor and enough determination can remove a text watermark.
If you need real protection, combine it with:
- Password protection, so only people with the password can open the file.
- Redaction, to permanently remove details the recipient doesn't need, rather than just labelling them.
FAQ
Can I add a watermark to a PDF for free? Yes. Add Watermark is free, adds no branding of its own, and needs no account.
Can I use a logo as a watermark? Not yet. The tool supports text watermarks only.
Can I change the angle or position? No. The watermark always runs diagonally across the center of each page, which is the hardest position to crop out.
Does the watermark go on every page? Yes, every page gets the same watermark.
Will the original text still be selectable? Yes. The watermark is added on top; the rest of the page isn't changed.