Add Page Numbers to PDF

Add page numbers to PDF — free, online, no upload required

Need to add page numbers to a PDF for a report, thesis, legal document, or ebook? This tool stamps numbers on every page with your chosen position, font size, and starting number. All processing happens in your browser — your PDF never leaves your device.

How it works

1. Upload your PDF.
2. Choose the position (bottom center is the default), font size, and starting page number.
3. Click Add Page Numbers.
4. Download your numbered PDF.

Customization options

• Position: Bottom center, bottom right, bottom left, top center, or top right.
• Font size: 6 to 24 points (default 10).
• Start number: Default 1 — useful if the PDF is part of a larger document starting from, say, page 42.

Privacy

This tool processes everything locally in your browser. No upload, no server, no data collection. Safe for confidential documents.

When you need numbered pages on a PDF

Page numbers are mandatory for academic papers, legal filings, contracts, government submissions, and most printed handouts. If the original document was exported from Word, Google Docs, or LaTeX without page numbers, adding them later usually means re-opening the source — unless you only have the PDF. This tool adds numbers directly to the PDF without touching the source.

Position, format, and starting number

• Position — bottom-center, bottom-right, bottom-left, top-center, top-right, top-left.
• Format — "1", "Page 1", "1 / 12", "Page 1 of 12", or any custom format string.
• Start from — begin numbering at any page (skip cover pages, prefaces, or tables of contents).
• Font size and color — keep numbers subtle in body text or large for printed handouts.

Use cases

• Academic submissions — many journals require numbered pages in the submitted PDF.
• Court filings — most jurisdictions require continuous page numbering across the brief.
• Multi-author reports — when you merge contributions from multiple authors, add numbers after merging.
• Print prep — bound documents need numbered pages so a reader can quote sections accurately.

Privacy

The PDF is processed in your browser. Your document, the rendered numbers, and the output file all stay on your device. There is no upload, no telemetry, and no account required.

Number last: page numbers belong at the end of the assembly workflow

Add page numbers after the document structure is final — after merging, splitting out unwanted pages, and rotating. Numbering before merging creates conflicting sequences; numbering before splitting creates gaps in the extracted sections. The correct order is: assemble → rotate → number → watermark → compress → protect. Re-number if you later merge extra pages or rearrange the order.

• PDF Merger — Merge all component PDFs into one document first so the page number sequence runs continuously from cover to last page without gaps.
• Rotate PDF — Fix page orientation before numbering so footers and headers appear correctly aligned on every page.
• Add Watermark — Stamp the numbered document before protecting it — watermarks and page numbers together define the final document identity.
• Protect PDF — Encrypt after numbering for read-only distribution — recipients cannot reorder or remove pages.
• PDF Compressor — Shrink the finished, numbered file before emailing — page number overlays are lightweight and survive both metadata cleanup and rasterized compression.
• PDF Splitter — Split into chapters and number each independently with its own starting page, or split first and then number the combined document after merging.
• PDF Metadata Editor — Update title and author metadata after adding page numbers, before distributing the final document.
• Unlock PDF — Unlock protected source PDFs before assembling and numbering the combined result.

Related tools

People using this tool often also use Rotate PDF, Add Watermark to PDF, PDF Merger, and PDF Metadata Editor.