Add page numbers to a PDF
Choose position, style and starting number, and skip the cover if you like.
or drop it here
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How to add page numbers to a PDF
Page numbers make long documents easier to discuss, print and file: “see page 14” is only useful if page 14 says so. Use this for reports, dissertations, bundles of evidence, board packs and manuals, especially after merging several files into one. You choose where the numbers go, how they read, where they start, and which pages get them, with a live preview as you change settings.
- 1
Open your PDF
Choose or drop the file; a preview shows the numbers as you set them.
- 2
Style the numbers
Pick one of six positions, a format such as “Page 1 of 10”, and a start number.
- 3
Download
Save the numbered copy; your original is unchanged.
Page numbers features
- Six positions: top or bottom, left, centre or right
- Formats including “Page 1 of N”
- Choose the starting number
- Skip the first page and choose whether the total counts it
- Roman numerals for front matter
- Mirror numbers on even pages for double-sided printing
How the numbers are added to your pages
Numbers are added in your browser, on your device; the PDF is not uploaded.
Each number is written onto the page as real text in the font, size and colour you choose, so it prints crisply and can be searched. Placement allows for each page’s rotation and visible area, so numbers land at the visual bottom (or top) of the page as you see it, even on rotated or cropped pages.
By default, the total in “Page 1 of N” counts only the pages that are numbered. Tick Count all pages to include unnumbered ones such as a cover.
A 10-page report with a cover
Choose Bottom centre and the Page 1 of N format, then tick Skip the first page. The cover stays clean, page 2 reads “Page 1 of 9” and the last page reads “Page 9 of 9”. Prefer the cover to count? Tick Count all pages and page 2 becomes “Page 2 of 10”. For a thesis with a preface, use Roman numerals for front matter: those pages get i, ii, iii and the main numbering starts after them.
Good to know
- Printing double-sided? Mirror on even pages moves numbers to the outer corner (requires a left or right position).
- Use Start at to continue numbering from another document, such as starting at 41 for part two.
- Number only part of a file with a range like
2-10, 12. - Merging chapters first? Use Merge PDF, then number the combined file so the sequence runs straight through.
Related tools and guides
Page numbers: frequently asked questions
Can I skip the first page?
Yes. Tick Skip the first page and numbering starts on page two, leaving the cover clean.
If I skip the cover, does the total count it?
Not by default: in “Page 1 of N”, N counts the numbered pages. Switch on Count all pages to include the cover in the total.
Can I use Roman numerals?
Yes, for front matter. Set how many pages are front matter; they get i, ii, iii… and the main Arabic numbering starts after them.
Will numbers appear correctly on landscape or rotated pages?
Yes. Placement accounts for each page’s rotation, so the number appears upright at the edge you chose.
Can I change the font and size?
Yes. Choose a sans, serif or monospaced font (each with a bold option), the size, colour and distance from the edge.