About Add Page Numbers
Long reports, course packs, manuscripts and exhibit bundles are hard to discuss when nobody can point to “page 14”. This tool writes a number onto each page of your PDF so printed copies can be collated and readers can cite a page. You decide where it sits, how it reads, where counting starts and whether the opening page stays unnumbered.
The numbers are added as real text in Helvetica, printed in black and placed half an inch in from the edge of the page. Because they are characters rather than pictures, they stay crisp at any zoom, print cleanly and turn up when you search the document. Helvetica is one of the standard fonts that every PDF reader carries, so no font file has to be embedded and the PDF grows only slightly. The worded styles follow the language of the page you use: the Chinese version prints 第 3 页,共 12 页 and the Spanish one Página 3 de 12, and wording outside the Latin alphabet embeds just the characters it needs from an open-source font.
Nothing else on the page is redrawn. The number is written on top of the existing content, so body text stays selectable, photos keep their original quality, and links, bookmarks and form fields remain where they were. Pages stored sideways or upside down are handled as well: the number follows the way each page is displayed, so it lands in the corner you picked and reads upright.
How to use Add Page Numbers
- Choose the PDFDrop the file onto the tool or click to browse for it. A PDF that asks for a password must first be opened with Unlock PDF, using the password you already have.
- Pick position, style and startSelect one of six spots along the top or bottom edge and a style such as “Page 1 of N”. Change the start number or the font size (8 to 24 points, 11 by default) if needed, and tick the option to leave the first page unnumbered.
- Save the numbered copyApply the numbers and download the new PDF, then page through it to check the placement. Your original file is not modified, so you can run it again with different settings at any time.
When people use it
A report with a title page
Turn on the cover option so the title page stays clean and the first page of real content shows 1. The “Page 1” style in the bottom right gives a formal, uncluttered result.
Handouts for a meeting
Printed pages get shuffled on a conference table. A plain number at the bottom center lets everyone restack them in order and follow along when the speaker says to turn to page 6.
One book split across several files
If chapter one ended on page 38, set the start number for the chapter two file to 39. Or combine the chapters with Merge PDF first and number the whole manuscript in a single pass.
Number styles and positions
Four styles are available. Here is how each one looks on the third page of a twelve-page file:
| Style | Page 3 shows | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Books, manuscripts and anything with a minimal layout |
| Page 1 | Page 3 | Reports and letters where a bare digit might be mistaken for content |
| Page 1 of N | Page 3 of 12 | Contracts and forms, where a reader should notice a missing page |
| 1 / N | 3 / 12 | Slide decks and handouts with little free space |
The number can go at the bottom center (the default), bottom right, bottom left, top center, top right or top left. Top positions can collide with a letterhead or running header already on the page, so the bottom is usually safer. If a document’s text runs within half an inch of the edge, the number may touch it; try a smaller font size or another position.
Covers, front matter and start numbers
With the cover option on, the first page gets no number and numbering begins on page 2 with your start number. So the start number decides what that second page says:
- Start number 1: the cover is blank and page 2 of the file shows 1. This is the usual choice when the cover shouldn’t count.
- Start number 2: the cover is still blank, but page 2 shows 2, as if the cover had been counted silently.
Only the first page can be skipped, and roman numerals are not offered. For a document with several pages of front matter, use Split PDF to separate the front matter from the body, number the body alone, then join the parts again with Merge PDF.
What this numbering tool won’t do
- Bates numbering. There are no prefixes, no zero padding such as ABC-000123 and no date stamps. Legal productions that need those require dedicated software.
- Custom fonts or colors. Numbers are always black, in Helvetica, with Roboto or Droid Sans Fallback stepping in only for characters Helvetica lacks.
- Digitally signed documents. Adding numbers changes the file, so a signature applied earlier will show as invalid. Number the pages before anyone signs.
- Full-bleed scans. When a scanned image covers the entire page, the number is printed over the scan rather than in a clear margin.
Numbering happens entirely on your device and the PDF never leaves this tab; you can watch for yourself using the network check described on our privacy page. Very long documents are handled more comfortably on a computer than on a phone, since the whole file is held in memory.