"See the third paragraph on page 14" only works if there is a page 14. Page numbers make long documents easier to read, print, review and cite, and some submissions, such as theses and court filings, require them.
Step by step
- Open the tool. Go to pdfmerger.io/add-page-numbers.
- Add your PDF.
- Pick a position. Top or bottom, and left, center or right.
- Pick a format. Choose between "1", "1 / 10", "- 1 -" and "Page 1", and one of three sizes.
- Set where counting starts. Use "Number from page" and "Start at" if you need to (see below).
- Click "Add page numbers". The numbered PDF downloads.
Leaving the cover page without a number
Most reports and theses don't show a number on the title page. Set Number from page to 2. Page 1 stays clean, and numbering begins on page 2.
If the counting should still treat the cover as page 1, so the second page shows "2", set Start at to 2 as well. If the first numbered page should show "1", leave Start at on 1.
Continuing from another document
Splitting a long manual into chapters? Set Start at to the number the chapter should begin with, for example 41, and the numbering carries on where the previous file stopped.
Landscape and rotated pages
The position is measured on the page as you see it. Landscape pages and scans that were rotated get an upright number in the corner you picked, not one turned on its side.
Private by design
The numbers are added inside your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded and nothing else on the page changes.
Frequently asked questions
Will the numbers cover my footer?
They sit close to the edge of the page. If your document already has text there, choose the opposite edge or a different corner.
Can I remove the numbers later?
They become part of the page. Keep your original file if you might need an unnumbered version.
Number your pages now: pdfmerger.io/add-page-numbers.