Add page numbers to a PDFwith a live preview
Pick a corner, choose a format, set the starting number. The preview redraws as you go, so you know what the saved file will look like.
The numbers are drawn onto the pages inside your browser tab. Your PDF is not uploaded to a server, and the numbered copy saves straight to your device.
Free to use: one PDF at a time, up to 50 MB. 10 free files a day across every tool, and no watermark on the numbered file.
Drop your PDF
Drag and drop a PDF or click to browse.
Pick position & format
One of six positions, and a format like 1, 1 / 12, Page 1, or Page 1 of 12.
Save
Press the save button and the numbered PDF downloads right away.
How to add page numbers to a PDF
Position and format are the two settings most people touch. Below: starting at a different number, what to do about the cover page, overlapping footers, and the formats this tool does not offer.
Open the PDF you want to number
Drag one PDF onto the upload card, or click it to browse. Files up to 50 MB are fine.
The page count is read straight away, which is what the running total in the number label is based on.
Pick where the number sits on the page
Six positions are offered: top left, top centre, top right, and the same three along the bottom. Bottom centre is the default and the safe choice for a report. Top right suits documents that will be filed in a folder and flicked through by the corner.
Choose the number format
Four formats are available: just the number (1), the number with the total (1 / 12), the word and number (Page 1), and the full form (Page 1 of 12). Plain numbers keep a formal document clean. The page-of-total forms are better when the reader needs to know whether anything is missing.
Start numbering at a different number
"Start at" sets the first label. Set it to 47 and the first page reads 47, the next 48, and so on. If you chose a page-of-total format, the total moves up with it, so a 10-page file starting at 3 ends on 12 out of 12.
Leave the cover page out of the numbering
Worth saying straight: numbers go on every page, and there is no option to skip the first one. Setting "Start at" to 0 changes what the cover says, it does not leave it blank.
The way round it takes two steps. Split the cover off into its own file, number the rest with "Start at" set to 1, then merge the cover back on the front.
See also: Split a PDF
Make the numbers bigger or smaller
The size box takes anything from 6 to 36 points. The default of 11 matches normal body text. Go bigger for a document that will be read on a wall or projected, smaller if the number has to tuck into a tight footer.
Check the look before you save
The preview beside the controls redraws every time you change a setting, showing the exact label in the exact corner. It is a mock page rather than your own page, so use it to judge position and size, then open the saved file to confirm on the real thing.
What to do if the number lands on existing content
Numbers are drawn at a fixed distance from the edge, and a document that already has a footer or a logo in that spot will end up with the two overlapping. Move the number to a different corner. Bottom left and top right are usually free even in busy templates.
Roman numerals and letters
Not offered here. The four formats are all ordinary numbers. For front matter in i, ii, iii, or for a custom label like A-1, place the text yourself in the editor, page by page.
See also: Open the PDF editor
Number a document you just combined
This is the most common reason people number a PDF at all: several files were merged and the old numbering no longer runs straight. Merge first, number second, and the whole packet reads as one document.
See also: Merge PDFs
Fix the page order before you number
Numbers are drawn by position, so a page moved after numbering keeps the wrong number printed on it. Get the sequence right first, save that, then number the corrected file.
See also: Reorder PDF pages
Number a password-protected PDF
A locked file cannot be written to until the password comes off, so the upload card turns it away with a link. Unlock it, number the plain copy, then protect it again if it needs to stay locked.
See also: Unlock a PDF
Add page numbers without uploading the file
The numbers are drawn onto the pages inside your browser tab and the file is saved straight to your device. Nothing is sent to a server, so a draft contract or a set of accounts stays where it is.
Add page numbers on a phone
The page works in a mobile browser with no app to install. The controls and the preview stack one above the other on a narrow screen, so you scroll a little between choosing a position and seeing it.
Adding page numbers: FAQ
How do I add page numbers to a PDF for free?
Drop your PDF, pick one of six positions and a format (just the number, page of total, and so on), then press the save button. The numbered PDF downloads right away.
Can I start the numbering at a different number?
Set "Start at" to whatever you need. A chapter that carries on from an earlier document can begin at 47, and the running total shifts with it.
Can I leave the cover page unnumbered?
Not in one pass: numbers land on every page. The way round it is to split the cover off, number the rest, and merge the two back together.
Do page numbers stay in the saved file?
They are drawn into the page itself, not stored as a note on top, so they print and travel with the file wherever you send it.
Does the numbered PDF have a watermark?
No, and there is no watermark on any plan. The only thing added to your pages is the page number you chose.
Is there a limit on how many files I can number?
The free plan covers 10 finished files a day, shared across every tool, resetting at midnight UTC. Pro removes the count. The numbering still happens on your own machine, and each file can be up to 50 MB.
Merge PDFs
Combine multiple PDFs into one. Drag to reorder, click to merge.
OpenSplit PDF
Break a PDF into multiple files by page ranges or every N pages.
OpenRotate PDF
Rotate any page 90°, 180°, or 270°. Permanently saved on download.
OpenReorder PDF Pages
Drag pages into the order you want. Reordering happens on your device.
Open