You have a PDF and it needs one more page. Maybe a blank page for notes, a spare page for a signature, or a cover sheet at the front. This guide shows how to insert blank pages into a PDF for free, what you will see at each step, and what to do if something goes wrong.
How do I insert a blank page into a PDF?
- Open Insert Blank Pages and upload your PDF.
- Click a page in the grid to select it.
- Press Insert After (or Insert Before). A dashed card shows where the new page goes.
- Press Insert Blank Pages & Download.
- Check your new PDF and save it.
Free, no sign-up, nothing to install. Your original file is never changed.
Watch the video guide
Prefer to see it? This video walks through the whole job, from opening the file to downloading the result.
The written steps below cover the same ground, plus the parts a video cannot show easily: what each message means and what to do next.
What you will see when you open the tool
The first screen is a simple upload box. Drop your PDF on it, or press Choose PDF. You can also pull the file from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
Once the file is open you get:
- A thumbnail of every page. They are drawn on your own device, so you can see the whole document before anything is sent anywhere.
- A short three-step guide at the top, which ticks off each step as you go. Hide it with the small cross if you do not need it.
- A hint line that always says what to do next.
- A bar at the bottom showing how many blank pages you have added and how many pages the finished file will have.
Step by step
Step 1: Choose where the blank page goes
You have three ways to place a page. Use whichever suits the job.
| What you want | What to press |
|---|---|
| A blank page at the very beginning | Start of Document (no page needs to be selected) |
| A blank page at the very end | End of Document (no page needs to be selected) |
| A blank page after a specific page | Click that page, then Insert After |
| A blank page before a specific page | Click that page, then Insert Before |
Not sure which page is which? Check the number under each thumbnail, or use the magnifier next to the page counter to see any page full size.
Step 2: Choose how many
The How many box sets how many blank pages each press adds. It takes a number from 1 to 100. Type a number outside that range and the screen tells you it has used the nearest valid number instead, so nothing surprising happens.
You can press more than once. Two blanks at the start and five after page 10 is fine.
Step 3: Watch the dashed card appear
Every new page shows up in the grid as a dashed cherry-red card marked Blank page. That is your preview. It shows exactly where the page will land, so you can check it before saving anything.
Not what you meant? Press Undo. Or select the dashed card and press Remove Blank. Reset takes you back to the original document.
Step 4: Pick the page size
Open Output Options on the right and choose the size of the new pages:
- Match the page next to it. The safe default. The blank page copies the size of its neighbour.
- A4 (210 × 297 mm) for A4 paper.
- Letter (8.5 × 11 in) for US Letter paper.
Step 5: Save
Press the green Insert Blank Pages & Download button. The Preview button beside it shows what files you are about to get, which is useful when you opened several PDFs.
What happens after you press save
A progress bar appears while your PDF is sent over a secure connection and the new file is built on our servers. Most files finish in a few seconds. Larger ones take a little longer.
Your blank pages stay on screen the whole time, so if anything needs a retry you do not lose your work.
Then you land on the results screen. From there you can:
- Download the new PDF with the green button.
- Preview it in a new tab before saving.
- Rename the file. The name you type is the name you get.
- Save it to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, or share it.
- Change settings and save again if something needs adjusting. Your pages are still there.
A countdown shows how long the file stays available. When it ends the file is deleted automatically, so save your copy before then. Your original PDF is never changed.
Faster ways to add blank pages
For longer documents, these save a lot of clicking.
- Select several pages, press once. Click the pages you want (Shift+click for a run), then Insert After. A blank page goes beside each of them.
- Type page numbers. In the Insert after pages box, type something like
2, 5, 7-9and press Apply. Type0for the very start. - Every page, or every Nth page. Type
everyfor a blank after each page, orevery 2for every second page. Any number from 1 to 1000 works. - Pad to Even. Adds one blank page at the end of any file with an odd number of pages. Handy before double-sided printing.
- Mark blank pages. Turn this on in Output Options to print a small note reading “This page intentionally left blank” on each new page. It is off by default.
- Several PDFs at once. Open up to 20 files. Each keeps its own blanks, and the results come back as a ZIP.
- One PDF per page. Switch on A separate PDF per page if you want every page as its own file.
If something goes wrong: what the screen tells you
The screen always tells you what happened and what to do. It never leaves you guessing, and it never throws away your work. Here are the messages you might see.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| This PDF is larger than 50 MB. | The file is over the size limit. | Make it smaller with Compress PDF, then upload the smaller copy. |
| This PDF is locked with a password. | A password blocks editing. | Remove it with Unlock PDF, then upload the unlocked copy. |
| That isn’t a PDF file. | The file is a Word document, image or something else. | Choose a file that ends in .pdf. |
| We couldn’t open this PDF. | The file may be damaged or incomplete. | If it opens on your computer, save a fresh copy and upload that. If not, try Repair PDF. |
| There are no blank pages to save yet. | You pressed save before adding one. | Select a page and press Insert After, or use Start or End of Document. |
| We couldn’t reach our servers. | Your connection dropped during the upload. | Nothing was lost. Check your connection and press Try Again. |
| Something went wrong on our side. | An unexpected error while building the file. | Your original is unchanged and your blank pages are still on screen. Try again in a moment. |
| Enter a number from 1 to 100. | The How many box was empty, zero or too high. | Nothing to fix: the screen has already used the nearest valid number. |
The green save button stays switched off until you have added at least one blank page, so you cannot save by accident.
Tips for getting it right first time
- Read the page number under the thumbnail, not just the picture.
- Use Match the page next to it unless you need A4 or Letter.
- Look at the dashed cards before you save. They are exactly what you will get.
- Use Preview to check the file list, especially with several PDFs.
- Open the finished PDF before you print or send it.
- Keep a copy of your original.
Why people add blank pages
- Room for handwritten notes beside slides or readings
- A clean page for a signature, stamp or approval
- A cover sheet or title page at the front
- Dividers between chapters or sections
- Page counts that work for double-sided printing or binding
- Chapter starts on the right-hand page for a print manuscript
- Extra pages for forms, exhibits and attachments
Is it safe to upload my PDF?
It is a fair question, because the file has to be sent to be processed. Page thumbnails are drawn on your own device. When you press save, the PDF is uploaded over a secure connection, the new file is built on our servers, and it is deleted automatically after a short period. The results screen shows a countdown so you can see how long your download stays available. Read the Privacy Policy before uploading anything sensitive.
What to do next
Once the blank pages are in, you may want one more step:
- Reorder PDF Pages to move pages around
- Delete PDF Pages to remove pages you do not need
- Rotate PDF to fix a sideways page
- Add Page Numbers so the new pages are numbered
- Merge PDF to join the result to another file
Frequently asked questions
How do I insert a blank page into a PDF?
Upload your PDF, click the page you want to work next to, and press Insert Before or Insert After. Then press Insert Blank Pages & Download. It usually takes under a minute.
Can I add a blank page to the start or end of a PDF?
Yes. Press Start of Document or End of Document. Neither needs a page to be selected first.
Can I insert a blank page after a specific page?
Yes. Select that page and press Insert After, or type its number in the Insert after pages box and press Apply.
How many blank pages can I add at once?
Up to 100 per press. You can press more than once to add more, or add blanks in several different places.
What page size will the blank pages be?
By default they match the page next to them. You can choose A4 or Letter instead in Output Options.
Can I see where the blank page will go before I save?
Yes. Every new page appears in the grid as a dashed card, right where it will land. Nothing is saved until you press the green button.
What if I add a blank page in the wrong place?
Press Undo, or select the dashed card and press Remove Blank. Reset takes you back to the original document.
Will my original PDF change?
No. You always get a new file back, and the PDF you uploaded is left as it was.
How long is my file kept?
The results screen shows a countdown. When it ends the file is deleted automatically, so download or save it before then.
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes. It works in a mobile browser on Android, iPhone and tablets. Tap a page to select it, then tap Insert After.
Do I need an account or Adobe Acrobat?
No to both. There is no sign-up, and nothing needs to be installed. It runs in your browser.
Is there a file size limit?
Yes, 50 MB per PDF, and up to 20 files at a time. For a bigger file, compress it first with Compress PDF.
Ready to add your blank pages?
Upload your PDF, place the pages where you need them, and download the new file. Free, with no sign-up.
Insert blank pages into a PDF