Add page numbers to a PDF
Add page numbers to every page of a PDF. Choose position, format (1, Page 1, 1 of N), starting page, font size, and skip the cover.
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Page numbers are a small touch that makes long PDFs much easier to navigate, cite, and reference. Without them, telling someone 'see the section about pricing' means they Ctrl+F or scroll. With them, you can point to 'page 47'. PDFOnly's page-numbering tool stamps numbers onto every page (or a subset) with full control over position, format, font size, and starting offset — useful for skipping cover pages and tables of contents that already have their own numbering.
How to page numbers step by step
- 1
Upload your PDF
Drop the PDF you want to number. Up to 100 MB free, 200 MB on Pro. Already-numbered PDFs work too — we just add new numbers; we don't remove existing ones.
- 2
Choose position and format
Pick a corner (bottom-center is standard for books, bottom-right for letters). Pick format: '1' for plain numbers, 'Page 1' if you want the prefix, '1 of N' if you want to show total page count, Roman numerals for front matter.
- 3
Set starting page (skip the cover)
Set 'Start at page' to 2 to leave the cover unnumbered. Set to 5 to skip a cover plus a table of contents. The first numbered page becomes '1' regardless of its physical position in the file.
- 4
Click Add Page Numbers and download
We use pdf-lib to stamp the numbers onto each page at your chosen position. The output is a fresh PDF with numbers flattened into the content — they show in any reader.
Why page numbers on PDFOnly
Six positions, five formats
Most online tools offer one position and one format. We let you place numbers exactly where they belong, in the format your document calls for.
Roman numerals for front matter
Standard book/thesis convention. Few free tools support it. We do — both lowercase (i, ii, iii) and uppercase (I, II, III).
Skip-pages support
Cover pages and tables of contents shouldn't be numbered the same way as the body. Our 'starting page' option handles this without manual workarounds.
What people use page numbers for
A few common scenarios. If your workflow looks like one of these, this tool is a good fit.
Add numbers to a thesis or dissertation
Academic conventions often require Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) for the front matter and Arabic (1, 2, 3) for the body. Run the tool twice with different page ranges and formats.
Number pages of a court filing
Many jurisdictions require sequentially numbered pages on legal filings. Add 'Page X of Y' format for clear pagination.
Re-paginate a merged PDF
After combining multiple PDFs (each with their own page numbers), the resulting document has confusing duplicate numbering. Strip those and add fresh sequential numbers across the merged file.
Number a printed manuscript or book draft
Editors and proofreaders need page numbers to reference. Add them before printing review copies — saves manual counting during revision rounds.
What you get
- Six positions: bottom-center, bottom-left, bottom-right, top-center, top-left, top-right
- Five formats: 1, Page 1, 1 of N, lowercase Roman (i, ii, iii), uppercase Roman (I, II, III)
- Custom starting page — skip cover and table of contents pages
- Font size 6-48pt, embedded Helvetica for universal display
- Numbers are flattened into the page content — survive any PDF reader
- Free, no signup, no watermarks of our own
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the cover page?
Yes — set the starting page to 2 (or higher) in the options panel. Pages before that stay untouched. The first numbered page becomes '1' (so the third physical page becomes 'page 1' if you set start to 3).
Can I use Roman numerals?
Yes — pick lowercase (i, ii, iii) or uppercase (I, II, III) from the format dropdown. Useful for the front matter of books and theses.
Can I number only specific pages, not all of them?
The starting page option gives you a single cutoff (numbers from page X onward). Selectively numbering arbitrary ranges (e.g. just pages 5-10 and 20-25) isn't supported in one pass — run the tool twice if you need that. Or use Edit PDF for more flexible per-page text overlays.
Will the numbers conflict with existing content?
Numbers are added to the standard footer/header position — usually outside the main content area. If your PDF has very tight margins, the number might overlap with body text. Adjust the font size smaller or pick a different corner if that happens.
Will the numbers be searchable?
Yes. Numbers are added as real text (not images), so they're fully searchable, selectable, and copyable. They also work with screen readers for accessibility.
Can I add a custom prefix or suffix?
The 'Page 1' format adds 'Page' as a prefix. The '1 of N' format adds 'of N' as a suffix. Custom prefixes/suffixes (like 'Section A — 1') are on the roadmap. For arbitrary header/footer text, use Watermark PDF instead.
Can I number an already-numbered PDF?
Yes, but you'll get duplicate numbers (yours + the original). To avoid that, the original numbers would need to be removed first — which usually means re-rendering the pages (use PDF to JPG → JPG to PDF as a workaround, then number the result).
Ready to page numbers?
Free to use for the basics. Files are auto-deleted within an hour and never used to train AI.
Open Page Numbers