How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF
A reviewer writes 'see the third table' in an email and nobody can agree which page that is. A print shop asks whether your thesis has page numbers before it goes to binding. A court bundle needs every page to be citable. Numbers on the pages solve all three, and adding them to a finished PDF takes a minute, without going back to the original Word file.
Why number the pages of a PDF
Page numbers turn a document into something people can point to. 'Page 14, second paragraph' is quicker and clearer than describing what a page looks like, and it works the same on a phone, a laptop and paper.
They matter most for documents that are discussed, printed or filed: theses and reports, contracts with schedules, tender packs, exhibit bundles and anything built from several files merged into one.
Add page numbers, step by step
Open Add Page Numbers and add your PDF from your device, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. You can add more than one PDF and drag the pages into the order you want; they are numbered as one document.
Choose where the number goes: top or bottom, on the left, in the centre or on the right. Pick a format, such as '1', '1 of 9', 'Page 1', 'Page 1 of 9' or '- 1 -', and set the number to start at, the text size and the colour. The numbers appear on the page thumbnails, so you can check them before anything is saved. Press Add page numbers and download the numbered file.
Choosing the position and format
Bottom centre is the usual choice for reports, essays and books, because it sits where readers expect it and stays clear of headers. Bottom right works well for legal bundles and anything printed single-sided and flipped through at the corner. Top right suits documents that already have a footer with a company address or a confidentiality line.
Use a plain '1' when the document is short or will be bound. 'Page 1 of 9' is useful for forms and contracts sent by email, because the reader can see at once whether any pages are missing.
Cover pages and numbering that continues
If the first page is a cover, tick 'Skip the first page'. The cover stays blank and the count starts on the next page. If the document continues an earlier part, such as volume two of a report or the appendix to a submission, set 'Start at' to the number that follows the last page of the first part.
The tool numbers in plain digits only, so it cannot add Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) to front matter. If your style guide asks for them, split the front pages off with Split PDF, number the main part on its own, and merge the parts back together with Merge PDF.
Number after merging, not before
When a document is built from several files, such as a cover letter, a report and three appendices, merge them first and add page numbers last. Numbering each file separately and then merging leaves you with several pages called '1'. If you add or remove pages later, number again from the version without numbers rather than from an already numbered copy.
Check before you print or send
Open the result and look at the first, middle and last pages. Make sure no number sits on top of text or a page border: pages with very narrow margins or scanned pages with dark edges may need the number at the top instead, or a smaller text size. Check that the last number matches the real page count, especially with 'Page 1 of 9', where a wrong total is easy to spot for the reader.
If the numbered file is too large to email, run it through Compress PDF from the result screen with 'Continue with this file'.