How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (Position, Start Number, Skip Cover)

1. 1

   Upload the PDF

   to the Add Page Numbers tool.

2. 2

   Choose a position and format

   such as bottom center with "Page N of M".

3. 3

   Set the start number or tick "Ignore first page"

   if you have a cover.

4. 4

   Apply and download

   the numbered copy.

These are the settings in our tool, so you know what to expect before you upload anything.

Which combination is right depends on how the document will be used. For something read on screen, a footer in the bottom center with "Page N of M" tells the reader where they are and how much is left. For something printed and bound, a bottom-right number on every page is easy to find when flicking through. For a short legal-style bundle that others will cite, "N / M" is compact and makes missing pages obvious.

• Position: six places, which are top or bottom crossed with left, center or right.
• Format: plain numbers (1, 2, 3), lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii), "Page N", "Page N of M" and "N / M".
• Start number: the value shown on the first numbered page, which does not have to be 1.
• From page and To page: the range of pages that receive a number.
• Ignore first page: leaves page 1 without a number.

The numbers are drawn in black Helvetica. There is no colour or custom font choice, so pick a position that sits clearly on a white margin.

1. 1

   Get the document into its final order first.

   Numbers are stamped onto the pages as they are, so finish merging, deleting and reordering before you number. See the section below on merging first.

2. 2

   Upload the file.

   Drag it into the Add Page Numbers tool or browse for it. Files are processed securely and deleted automatically after processing.

3. 3

   Pick a position.

   Bottom center suits most reports. Bottom right is common for documents that will be printed double-sided or bound. Top right works well when the footer already holds other text.

4. 4

   Pick a format.

   "Page N of M" is handy for contracts and forms where the reader should know nothing is missing. Plain numbers are cleaner for books and theses.

5. 5

   Set the start number and range if needed.

   Leave the defaults to number every page from 1. Otherwise adjust the start number, the From page and To page values, or tick Ignore first page.

6. 6

   Run it and check the result.

   Download the PDF and scroll through a few pages, especially landscape pages and any with content near the edge, to confirm nothing overlaps the number.

For a simple cover, tick "Ignore first page". The cover stays clean and page 2 is labelled 2 when the start number is 1, because the count still follows the physical page position.

If you want the first numbered page to read 1, say a body that begins on page 3 of the file, set From page to 3 and Start number to 1. Page 3 then shows 1, page 4 shows 2, and so on. Pages before page 3 are left unnumbered.

One thing to be aware of: this is a single run with one range and one format. You cannot give the front matter Roman numerals and the main body Arabic numbers in the same pass. The workaround is to number the two parts separately and combine them afterwards, as described below.

Yes, in almost every case. If you number three files separately and merge them later, each part restarts at 1 and "Page N of M" reports the length of that single file. Merging first gives one continuous sequence and a correct total.

The "of M" total is the number of pages in the file you uploaded. If you later delete or add pages, the printed numbers do not update themselves. That is true of any tool that stamps numbers onto a finished PDF. Make the structural edits first, number last, and redo the numbering if the page count changes.

Academic theses and long reports often use Roman numerals for preliminary pages and ordinary numbers for the body. With a one-pass tool the practical route is three steps.

1. 1

   Split the document

   into front matter and body, or keep them as separate files from the start.

2. 2

   Number the front matter

   with the Roman format, ticking Ignore first page if the title page should stay blank.

3. 3

   Number the body

   with plain numbers starting at 1, then merge the two parts in the right order.

• Numbers are fixed text on the page, not a live field. Adding or removing pages afterwards leaves the old numbers in place.
• Existing page numbers in the document are not detected or removed, so applying numbers to an already-numbered PDF produces two sets.
• If a page has content in the margin, the number may land on top of it. Try a different corner.
• Password-protected files must be unlocked first.
• Large files may take longer, and size limits follow your plan.