What Add Page Numbers to PDF does
This tool stamps a page number onto every page of a PDF, in the position, format and starting number you choose - "1, 2, 3", "Page 1 of 12", or a custom starting point for a document that continues from another file. It's for the common case of a PDF that was exported or scanned without page numbers already in it.
Numbers are drawn directly onto each page in your browser using a JavaScript PDF library, and the finished file downloads straight to your device - nothing is uploaded to a server.
How to add page numbers to a PDF
- Choose a PDF file - its page count appears once it loads.
- Pick where the numbers should sit (bottom center is the most common convention) and which format to use.
- Set a starting number if the document should continue numbering from elsewhere, and optionally skip numbering the first page, which is common for cover pages.
- Select Add page numbers & download to save the numbered copy.
Choosing a starting number
Leave the start at 1 for a standalone document. For a file that continues a longer numbering sequence - a chapter that picks up after chapter one's last page, for example - set the start to the next number in that sequence, and the "of" total in formats like "Page 1 of 12" is calculated to match.
Skipping the first page
Many documents - reports, proposals, bound chapters - use an unnumbered cover or title page, with numbering beginning on the page after it. The "skip numbering the first page" option leaves page one blank and starts the visible count from page two, without changing which physical page the count treats as "page 1".
Common uses
- Reports and proposals — adding professional-looking page numbers before sending a final copy.
- Printed handouts — numbering pages so a stack stays easy to reorder if dropped.
- Multi-part documents — continuing a page count across files that were exported separately.