Add page numbers to PDF

Number your PDF pages exactly the way you need

Page numbers make long documents usable: readers can refer to 'page 14', printed copies can be put back in order, and tables of contents finally mean something. Fileopia adds real text page numbers to any PDF in your browser – no upload, no watermark, no account. You decide where they go, what they look like and which pages get them.

All the options

• Six positions – top or bottom, left, centre or right.
• Formats – 1, 1 / N, Page 1, Page 1 of N, - 1 -, roman numerals (i, ii, iii) or completely custom text using {n} for the number and {N} for the total, e.g. 'Report 2026 – {n}/{N}'.
• Start number – begin at 0, 1 or any number to continue the numbering of a previous volume.
• Skip first pages – leave the cover and title page unnumbered; numbering starts after them.
• Page range – number only, say, pages 3-20.
• Facing pages – mirror left/right positions on even pages for printed, bound documents.
• Font, size, colour and margin – Helvetica, Times, Courier or Helvetica Bold in any colour.

How to add page numbers to a PDF

• Drop your PDF onto the page.
• Choose a position and format, and set the starting number.
• Open 'More options' to skip the cover, limit the range, change font, colour or margin, or enable facing pages.
• Click Add page numbers and download. The result reports how many pages were numbered.

Which format should I use?

Skipping the cover and numbering front matter separately

Academic and professional documents often number the preface with roman numerals and the main text with arabic numbers starting from 1. Do it in two passes: first number the front-matter pages with the roman format and a page range (e.g. 2-6); then run the tool again on the result with the arabic format, a range starting at the first chapter (e.g. 7-) and start number 1. Because both passes happen in your browser, this takes seconds.

Facing pages for printing

In a bound document, odd pages are on the right and even pages on the left. Numbers look best on the outer edge: right on odd pages, left on even pages. Tick Facing pages and choose a right-hand position – even pages automatically get the mirrored left position. This matches how professionally typeset books are numbered.

Why add numbers in the PDF rather than the source file?

Often you no longer have the Word or InDesign file, or the PDF is a combination of several sources – a scanned annex, a spreadsheet, a signed letter. After you Merge PDF files together, adding numbers to the final PDF is the only way to get one continuous sequence. Numbers are added as real text, so they are searchable, print sharply and do not affect the rest of the page.

Legal numbering: Bates stamps

Law firms and courts often require Bates numbers – a prefix plus a zero-padded sequence such as ABC000123 – across all documents in a case. For that, use our dedicated Bates numbering tool, which handles prefixes, suffixes and continuous numbering across many files.

Tips

• Check the margin if your document already has a footer, so the numbers do not overlap it.
• Use a grey colour for subtle numbers that do not distract from the content.
• For headers and footers with dates, titles or other text, use Header & Footer.
• Scanned pages? Numbers work the same way; run OCR PDF too if you want the document searchable.

Common uses

• Numbering theses, dissertations and assignments to university requirements.
• Preparing court bundles and exhibits.
• Adding numbers to merged reports and board packs.
• Numbering manuals, catalogues and printed booklets.
• Making scanned archives easier to reference.