How to add page numbers to a PDF
Number the pages of a report, thesis or bundle without the program that made it. Where to put them, how to skip a cover page and why to number last.
A court bundle, a thesis, a report assembled from several files, a scanned document for a client: plenty of PDFs need page numbers and didn’t come with them. Going back to the program that created each part is often impossible. Adding them to the finished PDF is quick.
Numbering in one pass
Add page numbers lets you choose the position, the format (1, Page 1, Page 1 of 12 or 1 / 12), the size and the starting number. The numbers are written as real text in a standard PDF font, so they print sharply, can be selected and add almost nothing to the file size. A preview shows the first pages before you download.
Choosing where they go
- Bottom centre for anything read on screen or printed single-sided.
- Bottom right for business documents and anything bound on the left.
- Alternating sides for double-sided printing, so the number is always on the outer edge.
Numbers are placed a little under a centimetre from the edge, inside the area home and office printers can reach.
Cover pages and front matter
Tick the option to skip the first page and numbering starts on page two. With the start-at number you can make that page show 1, the usual style for reports or 2 if the cover counts. For a chapter that continues a larger document, start at the right number: 41 for a chapter that begins on page 41.
Merge first, number last
If the document is made from several files, merge them first and number the combined PDF. Numbering each part separately gives every part its own page 1. The same goes for deleting or reordering pages: finish arranging, then number. The full merge process is in how to combine PDF files.
Before you send it
Check the preview for a page where the number collides with a footer or a page number that is already printed. Then, if the document needs signing, see how to sign a PDF without printing it.
Common questions
How do I start numbering on page 2?
Tick the option to leave the first page unnumbered. Numbering then starts on the second page and you can choose whether it shows 1 or 2 there with the start-at number.
Can I add Page 1 of 10 style numbers?
Yes. Choose the format with a total and the total counts only the pages that are numbered, so a skipped cover doesn’t inflate it.
Why do my page numbers appear sideways on some pages?
Landscape pages in a PDF are often stored as portrait pages with a rotation setting. Tools that ignore the setting put the number down the side. The tool here places it on the edge that reads as the bottom.
Can I remove page numbers later?
Not easily, because they become part of the page. Keep an unnumbered copy if you might need to renumber, for example after adding pages.