Add Page Numbers

When do you need to add page numbers to a PDF?

When you assemble a thesis or internship report from several files and the committee wants numbered pages to refer to. When you merge the documents of an application or a tender into one PDF and want the recipient to point to "page 7" without confusion. Or when you print a long file and don't want the sheets to get mixed up. Numbering adds a small figure at the bottom of every page without changing anything else on it.

What the tool adds exactly

• One number on every page of the file, in sequence, with no "page 3 of 10" format.
• Western digits (1, 2, 3) in Helvetica, 12 points, dark grey.
• Placed about one centimetre above the bottom edge, at the centre, right or left, as you choose.
• The number is real text on the page, not an image, and the original content is not redrawn.

"Start numbering from" sets the number on the first page. Enter 5 and the first page reads 5, the second 6, and so on, which helps when your file is the second part of a longer document.

How to add page numbers

1. 1
   Choose a PDF or drag it onto the box.
2. 2
   Pick a "Position": Bottom Center, Bottom Right or Bottom Left.
3. 3
   Enter the first number in "Start numbering from", or leave it at 1.
4. 4
   Click "Process Now", use "Preview Result" to check the number doesn't sit on top of an existing footer, then "Download Result" to save numbered.pdf.

How to leave the cover unnumbered

The tool numbers every page without exception. For a cover without a number, use Extract Pages twice: once for page 1 alone, once for the rest. Number the inner pages, starting from 2 if the cover should still count. Then join the cover and the numbered pages with Merge PDF. It's best to number last, after merging and ordering, because any later change to the order breaks the sequence.

Limitations

• Positions are at the bottom of the page only, and font, size and colour can't be changed.
• Eastern Arabic numerals (١، ٢، ٣) and Roman numerals are not supported.
• There's no background behind the number, so if the bottom of a page already has text or an image, the number is printed over it.
• On pages stored with a rotation inside the file, the number may appear along the side or turned sideways. Fix the orientation first with Rotate PDF.
• It works on one file at a time, and won't accept files with a password or permission restrictions until they're opened with Unlock PDF.

Where is the processing done?

The numbers are added by pdf-lib inside your browser, so the file stays on your device from start to finish.

Page numbers: frequently asked questions