Add page numbers to a PDF
Number every page, choose the position and format, skip a cover page and start from any number. Nothing else on the page changes.
Looks like: 1. Sideways pages get their number on the edge that reads as the bottom.
Drop a PDF. Numbers are added as real text and nothing else on the page changes.
Your file is processed on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
Choosing where the numbers go
Bottom centre is the safe default for anything read on screen or printed single sided. Bottom right suits business documents and anything with a left-hand binding. For documents printed double sided and bound like a book, Alternate sides puts odd numbers on the right and even numbers on the left, so the number is always on the outer edge where a reader's thumb finds it.
Merging first, numbering last
If a document is assembled from several files, merge them first and add numbers to the combined file. Numbering each part separately and merging afterwards gives every part its own page 1, which is exactly what a numbered document is supposed to avoid. The same goes for removing pages orreordering them: finish arranging, then number.
Why the margin matters
Numbers are placed a little under 10 millimetres from the edge. Closer than that, many home and office printers cut them off, because they can’t print right to the edge of the paper. The number is small and plain on purpose: it should be findable, not decorative.
Common questions
Can I leave the cover page without a number?
Yes. Tick No number on the first page and numbering starts on page two. Combined with Start at, you can make page two show 1, which is how most reports and theses are numbered or 2, if the cover counts.
What does Page 1 of 12 count?
The pages that are numbered. If you skip the cover of a 13-page document, the last page reads 12 of 12. If you start from a number other than 1, the total moves with it, so a chapter starting at 41 ends at, for example, 52 of 52.
What happens with landscape or rotated pages?
The number goes where it reads as the bottom of the page as you see it. PDFs often store sideways pages with a rotation flag and tools that ignore the flag put the number down the side of the page, sideways.
Are the numbers real text?
Yes. They’re written as text in a standard PDF font, so they print sharply at any size, can be selected and add only a few kilobytes to the file.
Can I number only some pages?
Only the first page can be skipped. To number a middle section, split the PDF, number the section, then merge the parts back together. Set Start at so the section continues from the right number.
Guides
The other tools
All of them work the same way: the file is read in your browser and never uploaded.