Add Page Numbers to PDF — Free, No Upload
Add page numbers to a PDF and keep them: the number is written into the page itself, not into a viewer setting, so it prints and travels with the file. Choose any of six positions, skip the cover, start counting at any number, and pick the format — 1, Page 1, 1 of 10, or Page 1 of 10. Everything runs in your browser, so there is no upload, no page limit, and no watermark.
Numbering matters most on documents other people have to navigate or cite: a contract, a thesis, a tender, a set of minutes, a court exhibit. Word processors handle this while you write, but a PDF that has already been exported, merged from several files, or scanned has no numbers at all — and the page numbers printed inside a scanned original rarely match the new order after merging. Adding them to the finished PDF fixes the mismatch in one pass.
Common ways to use it
- A merged document — several PDFs combined into one, now needing a single run of numbers.
- A report with a cover — skip the first page so the title sheet stays clean and page 1 is the first real page.
- A chapter or appendix — start at 47 so the numbering continues from the previous part.
- A scanned bundle — give a stack of scans a reliable reference before sending it on.
Numbering is usually the last step. Before it you may want to merge the PDFs, reorder or remove pages, or fix sideways pages; afterwards you can compress the file for email.
How to use Add Page Numbers to PDF
- Choose a PDF file. The first page opens in the preview.
- Pick a position, a format, and the starting number.
- Set how many leading pages to skip if the document has a cover.
- Click "Add Page Numbers & Download" to save the numbered PDF.
Features
- Six positions — Top or bottom, left, centre, or right.
- Four formats — 1, Page 1, 1 of 10, or Page 1 of 10.
- Skip the cover — Leave any number of leading pages unnumbered.
- Start at any number — Continue the numbering of a previous volume or chapter.
- Rotated pages handled — Numbers sit the right way up on landscape and rotated pages.
- 100% browser-based — No upload, no page limit, no watermark, no sign-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add page numbers to a PDF without Acrobat?
Open the PDF here, choose where the number goes, and download the result. The numbering is written into the page content with the standard Helvetica font, so every reader — Acrobat, Preview, a browser, a phone — shows and prints the same numbers. No Acrobat subscription is involved.
Can I skip the cover page and start numbering on page 2?
Yes. Set "Skip first" to 1 and the cover stays clean while the next page becomes number 1. Skip more pages if the document has a title sheet and a table of contents.
Can numbering start at a number other than 1?
Yes. Set "Start at" to any value, which is what you need when a document continues from an earlier volume or when an appendix has to carry on from page 120.
Are the numbers really part of the file?
Yes. They are drawn into the page content, not added as a viewer setting or an annotation, so they survive printing, flattening, and opening the file anywhere else.
Is this the same as Bates numbering?
No. Page numbering counts pages inside one document. Bates numbering runs continuously across a whole set of documents and usually carries a prefix and leading zeros, such as CASE_ABC_0001, for legal discovery. This tool does standard page numbering.
Is there a page or file size limit?
No page limit is imposed, and nothing is uploaded — the work happens in your browser, so the practical ceiling is your device's memory. Online alternatives usually cap free use: Canva, for example, limits uploads to 300 pages or 100 MB.