Can I start numbering from something other than 1?

Yes. Set any starting number, which is what you want when the file continues from an earlier document or follows unnumbered front matter.

Can I skip the cover page?

Yes — choose which pages get numbered, so a title page or table of contents can be left clean while numbering begins on the page after it.

Will the numbers overlap my existing content?

They are placed in the page margin, which is empty in most documents. If your layout already uses the margin, pick a different position or a smaller size.

Can I add text alongside the number?

Yes. A custom format lets you produce things like "Page 3" or "3 of 12" rather than a bare digit.

Page Numbers

Add page numbers with custom position, format and start number.

Processed locally in your browser — files never leave your device

What Page Numbers does

Page numbers matter as soon as a document is printed, filed or referred to in a meeting. Choose where they sit, what format they follow, and which number to start from — useful when the document is one section of something longer.

How it works

The tool walks through your document page by page and draws the number text directly onto each page at the position you chose — a corner or centre of the margin, at your chosen size. The format string is applied per page, so patterns like "Page 3 of 12" fill in both the current page and the total automatically.

Like our watermarks, the numbers become part of the page content itself rather than an annotation, which means they appear identically in every reader, survive re-saving, and print exactly where you placed them.

When to use it

A document will be printed and discussed, and 'turn to page 14' needs to mean something.
Court, tender or application bundles require numbered pages, often continuing from a previous volume.
A merged document assembled from several sources needs one continuous numbering scheme.
A report's front matter should stay clean while numbering starts at the first content page.

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

Position, format, size and starting number are all yours to choose — including formats like 'Page 3 of 12'.
Numbering can start at any value, which is essential for multi-volume bundles.
Pages can be excluded, so covers and tables of contents stay clean.
Numbers are drawn into the pages, so they render and print identically everywhere.
The whole document is numbered in one pass on your device.

Limitations

Numbers are placed in the margin; if your layout already fills the margin, pick a different corner or a smaller size.
Existing printed page numbers in the document are not detected or removed — this tool adds, it does not replace.
One numbering scheme per pass: mixed schemes (Roman then Arabic, say) need the document split, numbered separately, and merged.
Encrypted files must be unlocked before numbering.

Security and privacy

This tool runs entirely on your own device. The file you choose is read into your browser's memory, processed there by JavaScript, and returned to you as a download — no part of it is transmitted to our servers or anyone else's. When you close or reload the page, the browser discards that memory. We never see your document, cannot log it, and have nothing to delete afterwards. You can verify this yourself: open your browser's developer tools, switch to the Network tab, and process a file — you will see no request carrying your document.

The full detail of how this site handles data is in our Privacy Policy.

Supported files

Input: one standard PDF file (.pdf) of any page size. Encrypted PDFs must be unlocked first. Output: a .pdf with page numbers drawn into the margin of each selected page.

How to use Page Numbers, step by step

Upload the PDF that needs numbering.
Pick a position for the numbers — a corner or the centre of the top or bottom margin.
Choose the format (a bare number, 'Page 3', or '3 of 12') and the starting number.
Exclude any pages that should stay clean, such as the cover.
Click Apply, then download the numbered document.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start numbering from something other than 1?: Yes. Set any starting number, which is what you want when the file continues from an earlier document or follows unnumbered front matter.
Can I skip the cover page?: Yes — choose which pages get numbered, so a title page or table of contents can be left clean while numbering begins on the page after it.
Will the numbers overlap my existing content?: They are placed in the page margin, which is empty in most documents. If your layout already uses the margin, pick a different position or a smaller size.
Can I add text alongside the number?: Yes. A custom format lets you produce things like "Page 3" or "3 of 12" rather than a bare digit.