How to bookmark a page in a PDF on Mac
The pages you keep returning to, in a list of your own, kept with the document.
There is a difference between where you stopped reading and the four pages you keep flipping back to. Verso handles the first for you automatically. The second is what bookmarks are for.
Bookmarks is free and always will be. There is nothing to sign up for and nothing is watermarked.
Adding one
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Go to the page you want to mark
Any page. A definitions section, a table you keep checking against, the clause everyone keeps arguing about.
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Add the bookmark
Use the bookmark command from the menu bar or the bookmarks pane in the sidebar. The page is added to your list.
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Name it if it helps
A bookmark called “Payment terms” is more use in three weeks than one called “Page 34”.
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Come back to it
Open the bookmarks pane and click. The document jumps straight there.
Bookmarks versus the outline versus continue-where-you-left-off
| Feature | Who made it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Outline | Whoever published the document | The document's own structure — its chapters and sections. |
| Bookmarks | You | The handful of pages you decided were worth returning to. |
| Continue where you left off | Nobody — it is automatic | Reopening a long document at the page you closed it on. |
They do not compete. A long report is easiest to work with when you use all three: the outline for its structure, bookmarks for your own landmarks, and the automatic resume so you never have to think about where you stopped.
The pages worth marking usually announce themselves the first time you have to go looking for them. Mark it the moment you realise you will want it again, rather than promising yourself you will remember the number.
Frequently asked questions
How do I bookmark a page in a PDF on a Mac?
Go to the page and add a bookmark from the menu bar or the bookmarks pane in the sidebar. It joins a list you can click to return to.
Do bookmarks stay with the document?
They are kept with the document on your Mac, so they are there next time you open it.
What is the difference between a bookmark and the outline?
The outline is the table of contents the document was published with. Bookmarks are places you marked yourself.
Do I need a bookmark to resume reading?
No. Verso reopens every document at the page you closed it on, automatically. Bookmarks are for the pages you return to repeatedly, not for where you stopped.
Are bookmarks free?
Yes, along with the rest of the sidebar and every reading feature.