What Add Page Numbers does
Add Page Numbers stamps a number on each page of a PDF. Choose one of six positions and five number formats, decide which page the numbering starts on and what number it starts from, and adjust the size, colour and margin. It turns a loose collection of pages into a document people can refer to.
How to add page numbers
- Add your PDF.
- Choose the position: top or bottom, and left, centre or right.
- Choose the format.
- Set the first numbered page and the starting number if you do not want to begin at page 1.
- Adjust size, colour and margin if needed, then save and download.
Number formats
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Number only | 1 |
| With the word Page | Page 1 |
| Number and total | 1 / 12 |
| Page X of Y | Page 1 of 12 |
| Between dashes | - 1 - |
“Page 1 of 12” is the safest choice for formal submissions, because the reader can see at once whether any page is missing.
Skipping a cover page
To leave the cover unnumbered, set First numbered page to 2. Then choose the starting number: 1 if the page after the cover should be page 1, or 2 if the cover counts as page 1 without showing a number. The same approach works for a longer front section — set the first numbered page to wherever the main text begins.
Use cases
- Numbering a merged application file so enclosures can be listed in an index.
- Preparing legal bundles, tender documents and reports.
- Numbering scanned notes or assignments before submission.
- Making a printed document easy to put back in order.
Tips
- Do all merging, deleting and reordering first. Numbers are stamped onto the pages, so later changes to page order will leave them out of sequence.
- Bottom centre suits most documents. Use an outer corner for double-sided printing.
- Increase the margin if your printer cuts off the page edge, or if the document already has a footer.
- Pick a colour that contrasts with the page. Black or dark grey is appropriate for nearly all documents.
- If pages have different sizes or orientations, glance at a few after numbering to confirm the placement.
Good to know
Numbers become part of each page and cannot be removed from the saved file, so keep your original. If the document already has printed numbers that are now wrong, choose a different position for the new sequence, or hide the old ones first with PDF Redactor.
Privacy
Numbers are added in your browser. Your PDF is not uploaded to our server.