Nested entries
Dashes at the start of a line put an entry under the one above it, so a chapter can hold its sections.
Add or remove PDF bookmarks
Give a PDF a bookmark panel by typing a title and page for each entry, or strip every bookmark out. Done in your browser, and the file is never uploaded.
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Give a long PDF a way to navigate, without sending it away
A bookmark panel is the list down the side of a PDF reader that lets a reader jump to a chapter. Long reports, manuals and contracts are far easier to use with one, and many exports from word processors or scanners arrive without. This page lets you write the panel yourself, and it can also take one out.
Choose the PDF, then type the bookmarks. Each line holds a title, a bar and the page it opens: Introduction | 1. A title can hold commas, colons and quotes, because only the last bar on the line is read as the separator. Start a line with a dash to nest it under the line above, and two dashes to go one level deeper. A nested entry that skips a level is placed one level below the entry above it, since a bookmark cannot sit inside a parent that is not there.
What happens to the file
The bookmarks you type replace the outline the file already has. The pages, text, images and form fields are not touched, and each bookmark opens its page at the top while leaving the reader’s zoom alone. The panel is set to open with the file in readers that honour that setting. The result line tells you how many bookmarks the saved file holds, counted by reading them back.
A line is refused, with its number in the message, when it has no page, no title, a page that is not a whole number, or a page past the end of the document. Up to 2,000 bookmarks can be added at once.
Removing bookmarks
Choose Remove every bookmark to take the whole panel out. If the file has none, the tool says so rather than handing back an unchanged copy. Removing bookmarks does not remove text: to clear the author, dates and other details a file carries, use PDF metadata, and to cut a document at its top-level bookmarks, use Split by bookmarks.
Writing a good outline
Match the titles to the headings a reader will see on the page, keep them short enough to read in a narrow panel, and use two levels for most documents. Three or more levels are hard to scan. Check the page numbers against the reader’s own page counter, not the number printed on the page, because front matter often makes the two differ.
Nothing leaves the device
The file is read in your browser and rewritten by a local worker. There is no account, no queue on a server and no copy kept anywhere else. Closing the tab discards the working copy.
Update bookmarks in three steps
- 1
Choose a PDF
- 2
Type the bookmarks or choose to remove them
- 3
Download the updated PDF
Everything you need
Every page kept
Only the bookmark panel changes. The pages, the text and any form fields are left as they were.
One-step removal
Strip every bookmark from a file before you share it, in the same page.
Nothing is uploaded, and you can verify it
Processing runs on this device. Open the browser’s Network panel while the tool works and you will see no file upload request to FileGizmo. Temporary previews use local browser URLs, and closing or resetting the page releases them instead of leaving a server copy behind.
No limits, no watermarks
Use the tool without a daily task counter, account wall, output watermark, or artificial upload cap. FileGizmo does not meter a transfer it never receives. Available memory, processor speed, browser canvas limits, and the file format itself set the practical limit.
Works on any device, and offline after first load
Use a current browser on desktop, Android, iPhone, or iPad without installing an app. Once this tool and its required assets load, the cached workflow works without a connection. Large jobs are usually more comfortable on a desktop with additional memory.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write the bookmarks?
One per line, as a title, a bar and a page number, such as Introduction | 1. A dash at the start of a line nests it, and each extra dash goes one level deeper.
Does adding bookmarks keep the ones already there?
No. The bookmarks you type replace the file's existing ones, so copy any you want to keep into the list first. Every page and all of the text are unchanged.
What does removing bookmarks change?
It takes the bookmark panel out and leaves the pages alone. It is useful when the bookmarks are out of date, or reveal section names you do not want to share.
Can it make bookmarks from the headings automatically?
No. You choose the titles and pages yourself, which keeps the result exactly what you meant. Split by bookmarks does the opposite job, cutting a document at its top-level bookmarks.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. FileGizmo rewrites the file in a worker on your device. Nothing is sent to FileGizmo or to any other service.
Related guides
How to merge PDF files privately without uploading your documentsCombine PDF files locally, preserve page quality, understand document-level limits, and avoid uploading confidential documents.How to add page numbers to a PDF the right wayAdd page numbers to a PDF without covering content, pick the right start number and position, and know when numbering needs the source file.