Add page numbers to a PDF
Free, private and fast: everything runs in your browser and your PDF file is never uploaded.
Why number the pages of a PDF
A thesis assembled from several files, a tender with appendices, a printed handout or a scanned bundle of documents all become easier to discuss once every page has a number: "see page 14" only works if page 14 says so. This tool writes the numbers into the PDF itself, so they are there in every reader and on paper. Pick one of six positions (top or bottom; left, centre or right), a format such as "7", "Page 7", "7 / 20" or "Page 7 of 20", the number to start from and the font size. You can leave the cover without a number. Landscape pages and pages that are stored rotated get their number in the same visible corner as all the others, reading the right way up.
How to add page numbers to a PDF
- Drop your PDF in the box, or click to choose it.
- Choose the position, format, first number and font size, and whether the cover gets a number.
- Click Add page numbers and download the numbered PDF.
What changes when you convert
Check for existing numbers
The tool adds numbers; it cannot find or remove numbers that are already printed on the pages. If your PDF has numbers in one corner, put the new ones in another, or use them only for files that have none.
Numbers sit on top of the page
The number is placed about 1 cm from the edge of the visible page, on top of whatever is there. On a page whose photo or coloured background reaches the edge, the black number lands on the image; a different corner or a larger size often reads better.
Continuing from another file
When a PDF is one chapter of a longer document, set the first number to the page it starts on, for example 37. With "Page 37 of N", N is the last number on this file, not the total of the whole document. If the cover is left without a number, the first number goes on the second page.
Signed and encrypted PDFs
Adding numbers changes the document, so a digital signature is no longer valid afterwards. Encrypted PDFs, even ones that open without a password, cannot be changed here; remove the protection first.
About the formats
PDF (Portable Document Format) was created by Adobe in 1993 and has been an ISO standard since 2008. A PDF looks the same on every device, which is why it is used for contracts, invoices, forms, manuals and scanned documents.
- A page can hold text, vector graphics and images, each placed exactly.
- Scanned documents are usually one image per page.
- A PDF can be protected with a password that is needed to open or edit it.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The numbers are written into the file by your browser on your own device, and the PDF is never sent anywhere.
Do links, bookmarks and form fields survive?
Yes. The tool opens your PDF, adds a short line of text to each page and saves it; everything else in the file stays as it was.
Which font is used?
Helvetica in black, a font every PDF reader has built in, in a size from 8 to 24 points. Ten points is a usual size for documents.
Can I use roman numerals or letters?
Not at the moment. The tool writes ordinary numbers, starting from any number you choose, including 0.