Add Page Numbers to PDF

How the PDF Page Numbers works

Page numbers are the cheapest piece of navigation a document can have. A reviewer can say "see page 14", a printed stack that hits the floor can be put back in order, and a court bundle or a thesis can be cited exactly. Yet many PDFs arrive without them: exports from slide decks, merged scans, files stitched together from several sources. Adding them afterwards is a common job.

How to add page numbers to PDF pages here

1. Drop the PDF on the box. Nothing is sent anywhere; the file is read by your browser.
2. Choose the position. Bottom centre is the convention for reports and books; bottom right suits single-sided documents that will be flicked through in a ring binder.
3. Pick the style. "Page 1 of 10" tells a reader at once if a page is missing.
4. Set the first number and how many pages to leave unnumbered, such as a cover and contents.
5. Download. Every change re-runs at once, so you can try a style before you save.

What the tool actually does

A PDF page is a list of drawing instructions. The tool appends a short new set of instructions to each page that draws the number in Helvetica, black, at the chosen size. The existing text, images and vectors are not re-rendered or recompressed, so quality and searchable text are untouched. The only growth in file size is the font reference and a few bytes per page.

The position is measured from the crop box, the visible area of the page, not the media box. Scans and printer's proofs often have a larger media box with bleed around it, and measuring from that would push numbers off the visible page. Pages that carry a rotation flag, common in scans turned in a viewer, are handled too: the number is placed and turned so that it sits at the bottom of the page as you see it, not as it is stored.

Skipping covers and front matter

Books and theses usually leave the title page and contents unnumbered and start counting at the first chapter. Set "Leave unnumbered at the start" to the number of pages to skip, and "First number" to the number the first counted page should show. With 2 pages skipped and a first number of 1, the third page of the file is labelled 1. In the "of" styles, the total counts only the numbered pages, so a 12-page file with 2 skipped reads Page 1 of 10 through Page 10 of 10.

To continue numbering from an earlier volume, set the first number to where that volume ended plus one. A second part that starts at page 141 shows 141 to 280 rather than 1 to 140.

Choosing a size and margin

Most office printers cannot print the outer 4 to 5 mm of a sheet, so keep the distance above that if the file will be printed. If the document already has a footer, move the number to the top or increase the distance so the two do not collide.

Tips and pitfalls

Numbers on top of content. The number is drawn over whatever is there. Full-bleed photos and dark slide backgrounds will hide black text; move it to a corner with white space or open a page of the result to check.

Existing numbers. The tool cannot see numbers that are already part of the page, so running it twice gives two sets. Start again from the original file if you need to change the style.

Merged files. Merge first, then number, so the count runs straight through. Numbering each part separately and then merging leaves several page 1s.

Encrypted PDFs. Files with an open password must be unlocked first. The tool says so rather than producing a broken copy.

How to read the result

The stats show how many pages the file has, how many were numbered, the first and last labels that were drawn and the size of the new file. If the last label is not what you expected, check the skip and first number settings before you download.

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