Add Page Numbers
Stamp numbers on every page. Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
About Add Page Numbers
Add Page Numbers stamps sequential numbers onto every page of a PDF, positioned wherever you choose. It is the fix for documents that were assembled from several sources and never had numbering, or whose original numbering no longer matches after pages were added or removed. Free and fully in your browser.
Unnumbered documents fall apart the moment more than one person works with them. Nobody can say "look at the third paragraph on page 14" in a meeting, a printed stack cannot be reassembled after it is dropped, and a reviewer returning comments has to describe locations by quoting them. For anything long enough to be discussed rather than simply read, numbering is what makes the document referenceable.
The most common cause is merging. Combining five separately authored sections gives you one document in which each section restarts its own numbering, so the file contains four different page 1s. Removing pages creates the opposite problem: the printed footers now skip, because page 12 follows page 10. Stamping a fresh continuous sequence over the whole assembled document resolves both, which is why numbering should always be the last step.
How to Add Page Numbers
- Select the PDF you want to number.
- Choose where the numbers should sit — bottom centre and bottom right are the conventional choices.
- Set the font size so the number is legible without competing with the content.
- Preview a page to check the numbers clear your existing margins and footers.
- Download the numbered PDF.
Tips & common problems
Number last, always
Merge, remove and reorder everything first. Adding or deleting a page after numbering leaves the whole sequence wrong, and the stamped numbers do not update themselves.
Watch out for existing footers
If the document already prints numbers, your new ones can land on top and produce an unreadable overlap. Check the bottom of a page before committing, and pick a different corner if needed.
Mind the binding margin
For anything to be printed and bound, keep numbers away from the inner edge, where a spiral or staple will hide them. Bottom centre is the safest choice for bound documents.
Cover pages are usually left unnumbered
Convention is to start numbering at the first content page. If your document opens with a title page, expect to want the sequence to begin after it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add page numbers to a PDF for free?
Open your PDF, pick a position and style, and download the numbered document. No signup and no watermark.
Can I choose where numbers appear?
Yes. Place them in any corner or centred, at the top or bottom of the page, at the font size you prefer.
Can I start numbering from a page other than the first?
Yes, which is what you usually want when the document opens with a cover or contents page that should not carry a number.
Will the numbers cover my existing content?
They are placed in the page margin, but documents with unusually tight margins or existing footers can overlap. Preview before downloading and move the position if it clashes.
Do the numbers update if I add pages later?
No. They are stamped into the page as fixed content, so any change to the page count means renumbering from a clean copy. Number last to avoid this.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Numbering happens entirely in your browser and the document never leaves your device.