How to add page numbers to a PDF

To number the pages of a PDF, open Page numbers, choose the file, pick a starting number and an alignment, then select Add page numbers → and download the new copy. It is free, needs no account and runs in your browser, so the file stays on your device. You can also leave the cover page unnumbered.

What the numbers look like

The tool adds a plain number, such as “7”, near the bottom edge of each page. There is no “Page” prefix and no “of 12” total, and you cannot move the number to the top or change its size. You choose three things:

• Start numbering at: the first number to print, from 1 up to 999999.
• Alignment: Center (the default), Left or Right. Left and Right sit about a third of an inch in from the side.
• Pages: all, or the pages to number, such as 2-12.

Each page gets its number at its own bottom edge, so a landscape page in a portrait document is numbered along its wider side.

Step by step

The steps are the same in a browser on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. The tool takes one PDF at a time, up to 30 MB.

1. Open Page numbers.
2. Select Choose a PDF, or drag the file onto the drop area. The file name and size appear below it.
3. In Start numbering at, leave 1 or type the number you want on the first numbered page.
4. Choose Center, Left or Right under Alignment.
5. Leave Pages set to all, or type a range. Use the page numbers of the file itself, starting at 1, as the hint under the box says.
6. Select Add page numbers →. When it finishes, you will see “Your file is ready.” with a line such as “5.8 KB. 8 pages updated. Review placement before sharing.”
7. Select Download result ↓. The file is named pdfreadygo-numbers.pdf. Your original file is not changed.

On an iPhone or iPad, the tool shows a tip under the button: “If nothing happens, tap and hold or use Share then Save to Files.”

Skip the cover page

Numbering always starts on the first page you include. To leave a cover unnumbered in an 8-page file, type 2-8 in Pages and keep Start numbering at on 1. Page 2 then shows “1”, page 3 shows “2”, and so on. If you want the second page to show “2” instead, set the starting number to 2.

Numbers follow the order you type the pages, not the order of the file. Typing 3, 1 puts “1” on page 3 and “2” on page 1, which is rarely what you want. Type ranges from low to high.

The same idea works for a document that continues another one. If part two of a report should start at 41, set Start numbering at to 41.

What we found when we tested it

We ran the tool on the live site on November 2, 2026, in Chrome, using sample PDFs made for the test: an 8-page US Letter report (6.0 KB) with one landscape page, a copy with page 3 stored sideways, a 5-page file that already had “Page 1 of 5” footers, and a 101-page file.

• With the default settings, every page of the report got its number centered at the bottom, and the landscape page 5 got its number centered on its wider bottom edge. The new file was 5.8 KB.
• 2-8 gave “7 pages updated.” Page 1 had no number, and pages 2 to 8 showed 1 to 7.
• Start at 5 with Right numbered the pages 5 to 12 along the right side.
• The numbers are real text, so they can be selected and searched. The original text, links, bookmarks and a fillable form field in a test file were all still there afterwards.
• The 101-page file was numbered 1 to 101 in one run.
• On the file with existing “Page 1 of 5” footers, the new centered number was printed on top of the old footer text. The tool adds numbers; it does not detect or remove numbers already on the page.

Before you number

• Put the pages in their final order first. If you are combining files, use Merge PDF before numbering, and remove extra pages with Organize PDF. Numbering last means the numbers match the finished document. How to remove pages from a PDF covers that step.
• Fix sideways pages. The tool page warns that rotated pages should be corrected before numbering. In our test, the number went at the bottom of the page as it was displayed, which for a sideways scan is the side of the text. Rotate PDF fixes this; see how to rotate a PDF and save it.
• Check the footer area. If the pages already have text near the bottom edge, choose Left or Right so the new number lands in empty space, then review the result.

What if it does not work?

• “Choose a starting number between 1 and 999999.” The Start numbering at box is 0, empty, has a decimal, or is too large.
• “Choose pages between 1 and 8.” A page in the Pages box is higher than the page count (the message shows your file’s count).
• “Enter page numbers such as 1-3, 5, or all.” The Pages box has text the tool cannot read, such as “2 to 4”. Use a hyphen for ranges and commas between items.
• “This PDF is password-protected. Use an unlocked copy you have permission to process.” We saw this both for a file that needs a password to open and for one that opens freely but blocks changes. If you have permission, save an unrestricted copy from the app you normally use.
• A number overlaps text. Try another alignment. If every position overlaps, the page has content right at the bottom edge and this tool cannot move the number higher.

Quick answers

Is my PDF uploaded? No. The file is read and saved in your browser and is not sent to our servers. See how privacy works and the FAQ.

Can I add “Page 1 of 10”? Not with this tool. It prints the number only.

Can I number several PDFs at once? It takes one file per run. Merge them first if they belong in one document, or run each file separately and set the starting number for each.

Steps tested on the live tool on November 2, 2026.

Related tools

• Merge PDF: combine files into one document before numbering; merge or split? explains when each fits.
• Watermark PDF: mark the numbered copy as a draft; see how to add a watermark to a PDF.
• Compress PDF: make the finished file smaller for email; see how to reduce a PDF’s size for email.