What does this tool do?
It stamps a page number onto every page of your PDF and saves the numbered copy. You choose where the number sits (six standard header and footer positions), how it reads ("1", "Page 1" or "Page 1 of 12"), what number to start counting from, and how large the text is. The numbers become part of the page content, so they print and display everywhere.
How to add page numbers to a PDF
- Add your PDF using the upload box.
- Pick a position — bottom centre is the classic choice for documents, top right for reports.
- Choose the number format and, if your document continues from another file, set the starting number.
- Click apply and download the numbered PDF.
Why number a PDF at all?
Merged and scanned documents usually have no page numbers, and that's exactly when you need them: legal bundles and exhibits get cited by page, printed handouts get dropped and reshuffled, reviewers say "see page 14" in their comments. Exports from spreadsheets and slide decks often lose numbering too. Stamping numbers after the fact fixes all of these without touching the source files.
How it works, technically
A PDF library running in your browser embeds the standard Helvetica font, measures each number string, and draws it at the exact position you chose on every page — offset from the page edges so it sits in the margin area. Only a tiny amount of data is added; the rest of the document is copied through untouched, with no re-rendering and no quality change. The file itself never leaves your device.
Tips
- "Page 1 of 12"-style numbering recalculates the total automatically from the real page count.
- Starting at something other than 1 is handy when a document is part of a series — set the start to continue where the previous file ended.
- If your pages already have content in the chosen corner, pick a different position or a smaller size so the stamp doesn't overlap.
- Numbers are placed relative to each page's edges, so mixed page sizes number cleanly.