Add page numbers to PDF

How to add page numbers to a PDF

Upload the document, choose where the number should sit and download the finished PDF. Numbering runs entirely in your browser, the file is never uploaded. On long documents it takes a few seconds, because every page is rewritten in one go.

The number goes in as ordinary text, so it stays selectable and search in a PDF reader finds it. The original page content is not redrawn or resampled, it just gains one extra line.

Cover pages and continuing documents

Theses, contracts and proposals are usually numbered from the second page. Set “start numbering on page” to two and the cover stays clean. If the count itself should start somewhere else, say because the document continues an earlier part, type that value into “start at number”.

In your own text, {n} is replaced with the page number and {total} with the number of numbered pages. That is enough to build a label like “Appendix C, sheet 3 of 8”.

Rotated and scanned pages

Scanned documents often carry a rotation inside the PDF: the content is stored portrait and the reader turns it only when displaying. The tool takes that into account and places the number the way you see the page on screen, not the way it is stored. On landscape pages the number therefore does not wander off to the side.

Frequently asked questions

Does it handle accented characters?

Yes. We embed the DejaVu font, which covers accents and most Latin-script languages, so “Página” or “Anhang” come out right. Only the characters you actually use are embedded, so the file barely grows.

Can the number go in the middle of the page or in the footer?

There are six positions, three at the bottom and three at the top. The distance from the edge is set in points, the unit PDFs are measured in: 28 points is roughly one centimetre.

Can I remove the numbers later?

Not from the finished file, the number is part of the page. Keep the original. If you need different settings, run the tool again on the untouched document.

What if the document has a password?

Unlock it first with remove PDF password, then number it. Once it is numbered you can protect it again.