To add page numbers to a PDF, stamp a number on every page and save a new copy. In Page Numbers, attach the PDF, choose where the numbers go and how they read, and click Add page numbers. It’s free and works in your browser, so the file isn’t uploaded. Every page is numbered, starting from 1. If you need the cover left blank, or one run of numbers across several files, a couple of extra steps handle it.
How to number the pages of a PDF
- Open Page Numbers and attach your PDF, or drop it on the page.
- Under Where, choose Bottom centre, Bottom right or Top right.
- Under How it reads, choose Just the number or Page 1 of 10.
- Click Add page numbers, then Download numbered PDF.
The download is named after your file, with “-numbered” on the end. Your original isn’t changed. Keep it: the numbers become part of each page, so the unnumbered version is what you’ll need if you want to redo them.
The choices, and how they look
| Detail | What Page Numbers does |
|---|---|
| Position | Bottom centre, bottom right or top right |
| Wording | “7”, or “Page 7 of 32” |
| First number | 1, on the first page of the file |
| Which pages | Every page |
| Look | Black, in a plain font (Helvetica) |
| Size and margin | Scaled to the page. On A4, that’s 12-point text, about a centimetre in from the edges |
Numbers are placed by how each page looks, so a page that’s been turned to landscape still gets its number where you’d expect as you read it. Links, forms and bookmarks in the file stay as they were.
What the tool can’t do
Page Numbers keeps things simple, and it’s worth knowing its limits before you start.
- It can’t start from a number other than 1, or skip pages.
- It can’t use Roman numerals, such as i, ii and iii for an introduction.
- It can’t change the font, size or colour.
- It can’t put numbers on the left, or at the top centre.
- It can’t add words, such as a case number or a tab name.
- It can’t remove numbers once they’re added.
A blank cover has a workaround, below. For the rest, the other ways further down may suit you better.
Leaving the cover page unnumbered
Because numbering starts on the first page, a cover becomes page 1. Often that’s fine, and it means the printed numbers match the page numbers in a PDF viewer. If you want the cover blank and the next page to be 1, number the rest separately:
- In Split PDF, type
1and download the cover on its own. - With the same file still attached, type
2-and download the rest. - Number the rest in Page Numbers.
- In Merge PDF, add the cover first, then the numbered pages, and merge.
The cover has no number, and the page after it is 1. With Page 1 of 10, the total counts only the numbered pages. The same steps work for a cover and a contents page: split off 1-2 instead, then 3-. Splitting and merging leave out bookmarks and fillable form fields, as How to merge PDF files for free explains.
Numbering after merging
If you’re joining several documents, merge first and number last. Numbering the whole merged file gives one run of numbers from the first page to the last. Number each file first and every part starts again at 1.
The same goes for other changes. The numbers are part of each page, so they don’t update when pages move. Delete, reorder and rotate pages first, with Delete Pages, Reorder Pages and Rotate PDF, then add the numbers.
Court, exam and report bundles
Bundles are where page numbers matter most, and where the rules vary most. Courts, tribunals, exam boards and employers often set their own requirements, so check the instructions that apply to you before you start. Common ones include:
- One run of numbers through the whole bundle. Merge everything, including the index, then number once.
- Printed numbers that match the PDF. Some rules for electronic bundles ask that the number printed on a page matches its page number in a PDF viewer. Numbering every page from 1, cover and index included, does exactly that.
- The same position on every page. Pick one position and number the whole bundle in one go.
- Nothing covered up. Check that no number sits on top of text, stamps or old page numbers, especially on scanned letters.
For coursework and exam submissions, follow the board’s rules on names and candidate numbers: Page Numbers adds page numbers only. For reports, Page 7 of 32 lets a reader see straight away if a page is missing. If a bundle needs bookmarks or a linked index, add those afterwards in a program that can, such as Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Other ways to add page numbers
- In the original document. If you made the PDF from Word, add numbers there with Insert > Page Number, then save as PDF again. Word’s Different First Page setting leaves the cover blank.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro. Its Header & Footer option, with the Edit PDF tools, lets you choose the font, the starting number and which pages to number. The free Reader can’t add page numbers.
- Built-in apps. Neither Windows nor Preview on a Mac has a way to add page numbers to an existing PDF.
Common problems
- A number sits on top of something. Go back to your original and choose another position, such as top right.
- Two sets of numbers. Running the tool on a numbered file adds a second set. Always start from the unnumbered file.
- A signed PDF. Adding numbers breaks a digital signature. The tool warns you. Send the signed original if the signature matters.
- A password-protected PDF. Remove the password, then attach the file again.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add page numbers to a PDF for free?
Use Page Numbers: attach the PDF, pick a position and style, and download the numbered copy. It’s free, needs no account, and works in your browser without uploading the file.
Can I start page numbers on page 2?
Not directly. Split off the first page, number the rest, then merge the two back together. The steps are under Leaving the cover page unnumbered.
Do page numbers change anything else in the PDF?
Nothing on the pages besides the numbers. Links, forms and bookmarks stay as they were. The modified date moves to the time you added the numbers, because that’s when the file really changed.
Can I remove page numbers from a PDF?
Not with Page Numbers. Once added, the numbers are part of the page. That’s why it helps to keep the unnumbered original.
