Add page numbers to PDF
Add page numbers with custom position, font size and starting value.
How to add page numbers to a PDF online for free
- 1
Load the PDF you want to paginate
Click Select PDF file and pick the document from your device. The first page renders as a live preview in the middle of the workspace so you can watch exactly where the number will sit before you commit.
- 2
Pick a position on the page
In the right sidebar, tap one of the six position tiles: TL, TC and TR sit the number in the top-left, top-centre or top-right corner, and BL, BC and BR do the same along the bottom. The preview number jumps to the chosen spot instantly so there's no guessing.
- 3
Set the font size and the starting number
Type a Font size in points (anywhere from 6 to 72, default 12) and a Start at value in the number field. Setting Start at to something other than 1 lets a document that continues from an earlier file pick up where the previous one left off — page one of this PDF then prints as 47, for example.
- 4
Click Add Page Numbers and download
The tool writes the numbers straight into the PDF as a text layer and hands the finished file back to your browser's normal download flow. The output is named after your original with a -numbered suffix, so meeting-notes.pdf becomes meeting-notes-numbered.pdf.
Number your pages exactly the way you need
Three controls sit on the right of the workspace and, together, cover almost every real-world numbering need. The six-tile position grid pins the number to whichever corner or centre you prefer — no free dragging to worry about, just consistent, symmetric placement on every page. Font size takes a plain integer from 6 to 72 points, so readable defaults (10-14pt) and print-friendly larger sizes (18-24pt) are both a keystroke away.
The Start at field is what makes this tool useful for split documents: type 12 and page one of your file prints as 12, matching a prior volume that ended at 11. The format itself is intentionally minimal — a plain digit, drawn once per page — because that's what assignments, court bundles and printouts almost always ask for. When you need richer text like a date or a "Page X of Y" label, the Header & Footer tool linked below is the right neighbour.
Why numbered pages matter
A stapleless report drops out of a folder and turns into a puzzle without page numbers. A team on a call struggling to sync to "somewhere in the middle" loses minutes to "wait, which page again?" A submitted document that gets referenced by section only makes sense if the reader can actually point at a page.
Most PDFs generated from scans, screenshots, browser prints or merges arrive with no numbering at all — the source software simply doesn't add it. Fixing that once, in a corner nobody argues about, is what turns a raw stack of pages into a document people can actually work with.
Every position
Six position tiles cover the practical corners and centres: top-left, top-centre, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-centre and bottom-right. Whichever margin your reader expects — the classic bottom-centre for reports, top-right for legal filings, bottom-right for printouts — one tap puts the number exactly there.
Numbers you can trust
The number on each page is drawn with the standard Helvetica font at the point size you chose, sitting a fixed 24-point margin from the edge you picked. Nothing else about the page is touched — the original text, images and layout stay exactly as they were.
Start anywhere
The Start at field accepts any integer, so page one of your file can be numbered 1, 47 or anything else. Continuing the numbering of a previous chapter or appendix is a matter of typing the right start value — no editing, no manual per-page work.
No quality loss
Numbers are added as a small text layer on top of each page; the underlying pages are never re-rendered, re-compressed or converted to images. Scanned PDFs, vector PDFs and mixed documents all come out at the same visual quality as the file you started with.
When do you need to add page numbers to a PDF?
Assignments, theses and project reports
Universities and schools almost always require numbered pages on submitted work so the examiner can reference sections in feedback. Drop your final PDF here, pick bottom-centre and 12pt and the whole assignment is compliant in seconds — no need to re-export from your word processor.
Merged files where the original numbering no longer matches
Combine three separate PDFs into one and each chunk still carries its own baked-in numbering — usually restarting at 1 with every merge. Adding a fresh sequence in a free corner gives the combined document a single continuous count that actually matches its new length.
Legal, official and contract submissions
Court bundles, tender responses and formal contracts are routinely referenced by page ("as stated on page 7") and reviewers reject files where they can't cite specific pages. Adding numbers in the top-right or bottom-right corner gives every reader a stable coordinate to point at.
Long documents heading to the printer
A hundred-page unnumbered stack dropped on the floor is a nightmare to reassemble. Numbering the PDF before printing turns it into an ordered document instead of a puzzle, and readers can flip to a specific section without hunting through unmarked pages.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add page numbers to a PDF for free?+
Open this page, click Select PDF file and pick the document you want to paginate. Choose one of the six position tiles (TL, TC, TR, BL, BC, BR), type a font size in points and a starting number, then hit Add Page Numbers. The numbered PDF downloads to your device with a -numbered suffix on the filename — no account, no watermark added.
Can I choose where the page numbers appear?+
Yes — six positions are available. TL, TC and TR place the number in the top-left, top-centre and top-right of every page; BL, BC and BR do the same along the bottom. Whichever tile you tap, the live preview shifts the number to that spot on page one so you can confirm it before saving.
Can I use a "Page 1 of 10" format?+
Not in this tool — right now the number is drawn as a plain digit (1, 2, 3…). A "Page X of Y" or a "Page 1" prefix isn't one of the supported formats today. If that specific label matters for your document, the neighbouring Header & Footer tool is a better fit for adding richer strings around the page count.
Can I start numbering from a number other than 1?+
Yes. The Start at input accepts any integer, so if you set it to 47 then page one of your PDF prints as 47, page two as 48, and so on. This is useful when the current file continues from an earlier volume, appendix or chapter and the numbering needs to pick up rather than restart.
Can I skip the cover page?+
Not directly — there isn't a page-range or "skip first page" option yet, so every page in the file gets a number. A working workaround is to open the Extract Pages tool, save the cover on its own, run this tool on the rest of the document with the position and starting number you want, and then merge the untouched cover back on the front with Merge PDF.
Do my files get uploaded to a server?+
No. The PDF is read, rendered for preview and re-saved with the added numbers entirely inside your browser tab. Nothing is sent to us or to any third party during the process — you can even disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and the numbering will still complete.
Will adding numbers reduce quality?+
No. The tool doesn't re-render or re-compress your pages — it opens the PDF, appends a tiny Helvetica text object to each page at the position you chose, and saves the file back out. Scans stay as scans, vector diagrams stay as vector, and file size grows only by the handful of bytes the number glyphs themselves take.
What if my PDF already has page numbers?+
The new numbers are added on top of whatever the page already contains — the existing numbers aren't detected or removed. In practice this rarely looks bad: if the original numbers sit at the bottom-centre, add the new ones at a different corner (top-right or bottom-right, for example) so the two counts don't overlap.
Can I add numbers on my phone?+
Yes. The whole workspace is a normal web page, so on a phone Select PDF file opens the standard file picker (Files, Drive, iCloud, etc.), the position tiles are tap targets that fit thumbs, and the number/start-number inputs use the numeric keyboard. Add Page Numbers hands the finished PDF to the phone's usual download flow.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat?+
No — and that's really the point. Acrobat's paid tier is the only way to add page numbers inside Adobe's own software, but this tool does the same job inside the browser with no download, no subscription and no watermark on the output. The numbered PDF opens correctly in Acrobat Reader, Preview, Chrome, Edge, Foxit or any other viewer.