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Add page numbers to PDF

Choose the position, format and style of page numbers. Everything happens in your browser, no file is sent to a server.

How Add page numbers works

Add Page Numbers to PDF stamps a page number label on every page of your document. You choose the position (bottom-centre, bottom-right, top-left and others), the font size, and the number format: a bare number, "1/12", "Page 1" or "Page 1/12". pdf-lib writes the labels into the page content streams inside your browser, and the PDF never moves off your machine.

The tool resolves each label per page: if you choose the "Page N of Total" format and your document has 30 pages, each page receives the correct values automatically. The starting number is configurable, which is useful for documents that are chapters in a longer work and need to continue the numbering from a previous file. Font size and margin offset from the edge are adjustable so the stamp fits within the available white space without overlapping the existing content.

Written by Bastien Sulyan

How to use Add page numbers, step by step

  1. Load your PDF into the page numbers tool.
  2. Choose the number format: a bare number, "n/N", "Page n" or "Page n/N".
  3. Select the position on the page where the label should appear.
  4. Set the font size and the margin distance from the page edge.
  5. If needed, set a starting number other than 1.
  6. Click apply and download the numbered PDF.

Common use cases

  • A thesis requires visible page numbers at the bottom-centre of every page before submission.
  • A report compiled from multiple sections needs consecutive page numbering applied after assembly.
  • A legal brief is numbered from 1 again after the front matter, so the stamp starts at a chosen number rather than at the first page.
  • An invoice set needs page numbers so recipients can reference individual pages in correspondence.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start numbering from a page other than 1?

Yes. Set the starting number to any value you need. This is useful when the file is one chapter in a multi-chapter document where the previous chapter ended on page 47 and you want this file to begin at page 48.

What formats are available for the page number label?

Four, and only four: a bare number ("5"), the number with the total ("5/20"), the word form ("Page 5") and both together ("Page 5/20"). There is no roman-numeral option; if you need one for front matter, number that section in your authoring tool before exporting.

Will the page number overlap the existing content on my PDF?

The label is placed at the margin position you choose. If your PDF already has content extending into the footer or header area, there may be overlap. Increase the margin distance to push the stamp further from the edge, or use the PDF Crop tool to enlarge the margin area first.

How does this differ from the Header and Footer tool?

The Page Numbers tool is focused specifically on the numeric page label and provides format and positioning options tailored to that. The Header and Footer tool lets you stamp arbitrary text, titles or notices in the margins and optionally include a page number token as part of a longer string.

Is the PDF processed locally or sent to a server?

The page numbers are stamped by pdf-lib running in your browser. Your document is read into browser memory, the labels are drawn onto each page there, and the result is written out as a local file. Your PDF does not leave your device at any point in this process.

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