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Add page numbers to a PDF, free

Number the pages of a PDF in any corner, as 1, 2, 3 · Page 1 of 12 · i, ii, iii, from any number, skipping the cover if you like. Real text, added in your browser — nothing uploaded.

Add Page Numbers

Settings appear once you add a PDF.

Leave the first page unnumbered For a cover or title page. Numbering then starts on page 2.
Advanced 7

For a chapter that continues from page 41, type 41.

Size
Distance from the edge
Typeface
Mirror on facing pages Odd pages use the corner you chose, even pages the opposite one — like a printed book.

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  • 100% private Your PDFs never leave this device. Everything runs in your browser.
  • No limits No file-size cap, no watermark, no sign-up and no daily quota. Free.
  • Batch ready Add as many PDFs as you like; each one is handled and saved in one go.

How to add page numbers to a PDF

  1. Add your PDFs: Drop the PDF — or several, and each is numbered from its own first page.

  2. Check the settings: Pick where the number goes and how it reads. Leave the cover unnumbered, or start from 41 for a chapter that continues a longer document.

  3. Save the result: Save. The numbers are written into the pages as real text, so they print, search and survive every viewer.

Why it doesn’t upload

Documents that need page numbers are the ones going somewhere formal — a thesis, a court bundle, a tender, a manuscript. They are numbered here, in your browser tab, and never sit on another company’s server waiting to be deleted.

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Worth knowing

  • Numbers are drawn on top of the page. If a page already has something printed in that spot — an old number, a footer — pick another position, or white it out first with Edit PDF.
  • Roman numerals are lowercase (i, ii, iii), the way front matter is usually numbered.
  • “Page 1 of 12” counts only the pages being numbered, so skipping the cover makes a 13-page file read 1 of 12.
  • A PDF that asks for a password when it opens has to be unlocked first, since numbering rewrites the file.
  • For legal productions numbered across many files, with a prefix like ABC000123, use Bates Numbering instead: it carries the count from one file to the next.

Under the hood

What happens to your file

Each number is drawn onto its page with pdf-lib as real text. Positions are worked out on the page as it is displayed, so a page stored sideways with a /Rotate entry still gets its number at the visual bottom, reading the right way up. Plain Latin numbers use a standard PDF font that is not embedded; nothing else in the file is changed.

Runs on pdf-lib

Reference: pdf-lib documentation · ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0)

Why add page numbers to a PDF?

Unnumbered PDFs are hard to discuss (“the page after the table…”), hard to print in order and often rejected by universities, courts and publishers. Numbering adds real text to each page — any corner, any style, starting from any number — so it prints and searches like the rest of the document.

Numbers are added in your browser with no Acrobat, no account and no watermark.

Common reasons to number PDF pages

  • Theses and dissertations

    Number chapters continuously, or start at the right page after front matter.

  • Court bundles and submissions

    Many filings require numbered pages for reference.

  • Manuscripts

    Publishers and agents expect page numbers on submissions.

  • Reports and proposals

    Make long documents easy to navigate and discuss.

  • Printed handouts

    Keep loose printed pages in order.

Tips for numbering PDF pages

  1. Skip the cover with Leave the first page unnumbered.
  2. Use roman numerals for front matter, then number the body from 1 in a second pass on those pages.
  3. Continue from another document by setting the first number.
  4. Need a title or date with the number? Headers & Footers writes a whole line.
  5. For legal productions across many files, use Bates Numbering.

Questions

How do I add page numbers to a PDF without Acrobat?

Drop the PDF here, choose Bottom center (or any corner) and a style, and press Add page numbers. The numbers are written into the file itself, so they appear in every viewer and print on paper — no Acrobat, no account and no watermark.

Can I start page numbering on page 2 or 3?

Yes. Switch on Leave the first page unnumbered to skip a cover. To skip more, open Advanced and type the pages to number, like 3-40; set First number to 1 if the third page should read “1”.

Can I continue numbering from another document?

Set First number under Advanced to where the last file ended. Chapter two of a thesis that finished chapter one on page 40 starts at 41.

Will the page numbers be selectable text?

Yes. They are real text, not a picture, so they can be searched and copied and stay sharp at any zoom.

What about sideways (landscape) pages?

Each page is numbered the way it is shown on screen. A landscape page in a portrait document gets its number at the bottom of the landscape view, reading the right way up.

Can I number several PDFs at once?

Yes. Drop them together; each is numbered from its own first page with the same settings, and you can save them one by one or all as a ZIP.

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