How to use the add page numbers to pdf
- Choose a PDF or drop it on the box. One PDF at a time, up to 25 MB and 500 pages.
- Pick the number style (1, Page 1, Page 1 of 10 or 1 / 10), the position, the font size and the distance from the edge.
- Set the first page to number and the last page. Use 2 as the first page to leave a cover without a number. Set the number on the first numbered page if numbering should not start at 1.
- Press Add numbers and download. A preview of page 1 of the new file appears, and the original is not changed.
Worked examples
On a US Letter page (612 x 792 points) with the number centered at the bottom in 11 point Helvetica and a 36 point margin, the digit 1 is 6.116 points wide (0.556 of the font size), so it starts 302.94 points from the left edge and sits 38.2 points above the bottom edge. That puts the bottom of the lowest letters 36 points from the edge.
For a 4 page file numbered from page 2 to page 4, starting at number 5, in the style Page 1 of 10, the numbers read Page 5 of 7, Page 6 of 7 and Page 7 of 7, and page 1 has none. The total in "of" is the last number printed. Rotated pages work too: the number stays upright and in the same corner as seen on screen.
How the numbers are placed
Each number is drawn as real text on top of the page in black Helvetica, at the corner or edge you choose, measured from the visible part of the page. If a page uses a crop box, the number is placed inside it. If a page is rotated by 90, 180 or 270 degrees in the file, the position is converted so the number appears where you chose and reads left to right.
The pages and their content are copied as they are, so text, images and links keep working. The tool adds the numbers and saves a new file named after the original with numbered added. It does not reduce the file size and does not change page order. To change the order or remove pages first, use the organize PDF pages tool, then add numbers here.
Limits and privacy
Password protected PDFs cannot be opened, and the tool does not try to remove passwords. The number is not placed in a margin that the page lacks: if your margin is larger than the page allows, the number can fall outside the visible area, so check the preview. Page labels such as roman numerals, and different styles on odd and even pages, are not supported.
Your file is processed on your device and is never uploaded. Related tools include the merge PDF tool, the split PDF tool and the watermark PDF tool.
Assumptions and limits
- Numbers are drawn in black Helvetica and cannot be moved after saving, other than by editing the PDF again.
- Font size is limited to 6 to 72 points, the margin to 0 to 200 points and the first number to 0 to 100,000.
- The total in styles with "of" is the last number printed, not the page count of the whole file.
- Files with a damaged page tree or a password are refused with a message.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add page numbers to a PDF without a cover page number?
Set the first page to number to 2. The cover stays blank. If you also want the next page to be shown as number 1, leave the number on the first numbered page at 1.
Can I start numbering at a number other than 1?
Yes. Change the number on the first numbered page. The pages that follow count up from it, and styles with "of" use the last number printed as the total.
Will the page numbers be real text?
Yes. They are added as text in Helvetica, so they are sharp at any zoom and can be selected and searched. The rest of the page is not rasterized.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The numbers are added in your browser and the new file is made on your device. The original file is never changed, and nothing is sent to a server.