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Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Number the pages of a PDF in your browser. Nine positions, page ranges, your own text — no upload, no signup, no run limit.

Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Verify it

About the Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Pick where the number goes, choose a format, and every page you selected is stamped in the browser. The file is read and written inside the tab, so a contract, a thesis or a court bundle never leaves your computer.

A page number is the difference between a document people can discuss and a document they cannot. "See page 7" only works if page 7 says so, and a bundle that has been printed, dropped and re-stapled is only reconstructable if every sheet admits where it belongs. That matters most for exactly the files that should not be handed to a stranger: contracts, medical reports, court bundles, unpublished manuscripts. The three largest page-numbering tools upload the file and keep it on a server for an hour; this one has no server step to call.

How to use the Add Page Numbers to a PDF

  1. Select your PDF, or drop it in. It is read in the browser and stays on your device.
  2. Set the position, format, size and colour. Leave "Pages to number" empty to number everything, or type a range like 2-10 to skip the cover page.
  3. Download the numbered PDF, or take a whole batch as a single ZIP.

Frequently asked questions

Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?

No. The file is read, numbered and saved inside your browser tab, so nothing is transmitted. You can load the page, disconnect from the internet, and number a document to confirm it — there is no server step to call.

What is the difference between "Page 1 of 10 (numbered pages)" and "Page 1 of 20 (all pages)"?

The first counts only the pages you chose to number; the second counts every page in the document. Numbering pages 2 to 11 of a 20-page report gives "Page 1 of 10" with the first option and "Page 1 of 20" with the second. Most tools pick one of these and leave you to discover which, which is how people end up with a footer that contradicts the document.

Can I use my own text, such as "Confidential"?

Yes. Type it in the custom text box and use {n} for the current number, {N} for how many pages you numbered, and {T} for the total pages in the document. For example, "Confidential — {n} of {T}" prints "Confidential — 4 of 20" on the fourth page.

Will the number be in the right place on a sideways or scanned page?

Yes. Scanned pages are usually stored as landscape pixels plus a rotation instruction, which is why so many tools draw the number sideways down the page. The placement here is worked out in the orientation you actually see, so "bottom right" means bottom right on pages rotated 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees.

What happens on a PDF that has been cropped?

The number is placed inside the part of the page a reader can see, not inside the page's full declared size. That distinction matters: a print-ready PDF from InDesign, or one cropped by Acrobat's "Crop Pages", carries a visible area smaller than the physical sheet, and a footer placed against the full sheet lands in the strip that gets clipped away — the page number is then in the file but invisible on screen. This tool numbers the visible area.

Can I skip the cover page or number only some pages?

Yes. Type a page range in the "Pages to number" box: 2-10 numbers pages two through ten, 2- runs to the end, -5 stops at five, and 1,4,7-9 numbers exactly those. Leave the box empty to number every page. The first number you set is the one that appears on the first page you numbered, so skipping a cover page does not leave a gap in the count.

Does it change the text, fonts or images in my PDF?

No. The number is added as a new layer on top of each page, so the existing content, fonts, images and vector art are carried through exactly as they were and the text stays selectable and searchable. The document's own author and producer fields are left alone as well — only the pages you numbered change.

Can it number a password-protected PDF?

Not while it is protected. Numbering means rewriting the page contents, and a protected file stores those contents encrypted — the result would be a document no reader could open. The tool says so by name instead of producing a broken file. Remove the password first, number the file, then re-protect it if you need to.

Is there a limit on how many documents I can number?

No. There is no daily cap, no account and no watermark. The work happens on your own machine, so there is no server cost to ration — number one document or fifty.

Guides

  • How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (and Why They Go Missing)

    Page numbers are easy until the number lands somewhere the reader cannot see. How to number a PDF properly, why "Page 1 of 10" and "Page 1 of 20" are both right, and the cropped-page trap that hides the number on print-ready files.

  • Crop PDF Pages Individually, Not All at Once

    How to crop PDF pages individually rather than applying one crop to the whole document — and why the box you draw lands in the wrong place on some files.

  • JPG to PDF: How to Turn Photos and Scans into One PDF

    Converting images to a PDF is a container operation, not a re-compression — a JPEG goes in untouched. How to make one PDF from a folder of photos, which tools actually keep the file on your device, and why your pictures come out sideways.

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