How to use it
- Choose a PDF file or drop it on the box. The number of its pages appears under the name.
- Pick the Position, such as Bottom centre, and the Format, such as Page 1 of 10. The example line shows how the first number will look.
- Set the First number, the Font size and the distance from the edge. Tick the cover option to leave the first page without a number.
- Click Add page numbers, then Download to keep the new file.
Numbers that read correctly on every page
Each number is placed at the chosen distance from the edge of the page as it is shown. A page that is turned in the PDF gets its number upright, at the same visible edge, so a landscape scan with a portrait number still reads correctly.
Fonts and letters
The numbers use Helvetica, one of the 14 standard fonts that every PDF reader has, so the file needs no font to be embedded. That font writes the letters of Windows-1252: digits, English letters and Western European accents such as ö and é. A number with other letters, such as Turkish ş, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Devanagari or Arabic, is drawn as a picture of its text in the same size and place, so it looks the same on every page.
- The first number is the number of the first page, even when that page has no number.
- The last number on the total is the first number plus the pages, minus one.
- Page numbers do not change the pages: the text and images underneath are copied unchanged.
Example: a 12-page report with a cover
Choose Bottom centre and Page 1 of 12, keep the first number at 1 and tick the cover option. The cover has no number, page 2 reads Page 2 of 12 and page 12 reads Page 12 of 12.
Because the cover is counted, the report's contents page can refer to page 2 as page 2.
Frequently asked questions
Are my PDF files uploaded anywhere?
No. Your browser reads the file, writes the numbers and saves the new PDF on your own device. Nothing is sent to our server, which you can check by turning off your internet connection after the page has loaded.
Can the number formats use letters other than digits?
Yes. The standard font writes English and Western European letters, and any other letter, such as Turkish ş or a Cyrillic word, is drawn as a picture of the text. Every format therefore works in every language.
Will the numbers show on pages that are turned?
Yes. The number is placed on the page as it is shown, so it reads upright on a turned page and sits at the chosen edge of the visible page.
Does adding numbers change the content of the pages?
No. The numbers are drawn on top of each page, and the text and images underneath are copied unchanged into the new file.
What if I want to number only some pages?
This tool numbers every page, except the first one if you tick the cover option. To number only some pages, first use Split PDF to take those pages out, then number the new file.
Sources
- pdf-lib, the open-source library that writes the numbers
- Windows-1252, the character set the standard PDF fonts write
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.