Can I number several PDFs in one go?

No. The tool works on one file at a time. Combine the files with Merge PDF first, then number the merged document so the sequence runs across all of them.

Why does {total} not match my page count?

{total} is the last number printed, which is the number of pages you selected plus the start value minus one. Number every page from 1 and it equals the page count. Skip the cover and keep the start at 1, and it is one less.

How do I skip the cover page?

Choose Chosen pages under Number these pages and enter 2-last. Leave Start numbering at 1 if the cover should not count, or set it to 2 if the cover should count but stay blank.

Can it replace the numbers that are already in the file?

No. It draws new text and leaves the existing content in place. Put the new numbers in a corner the old ones do not use. Cropping the old footer with Crop PDF only hides it, and because the margin is measured from the original page edge, a number placed on the cropped side can end up hidden too.

Can I use roman numerals for the front matter?

No. The format must contain {n}, and {n} always prints ordinary digits, so roman numerals cannot be produced in any pass. You can number the front matter and the body as two separate runs with different wording and start values, but both will use digits.

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Add page numbers to a PDF that has none or was merged

Updated 2026-09-15

You have a PDF with no page numbers, or one you stitched together from several files that each carried their own numbering, and you want a single clean sequence from front to back. The Page numbers tool draws a number on each page you choose, in the font, position and format you set, and the file never leaves your browser. This guide covers the order to work in, how to leave a cover page blank, what {total} actually counts, and what the tool cannot fix.

Open Page numbersFree, in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Number the file last

The tool takes one PDF at a time, so if your document is still several files, combine them with Merge PDF first and number the merged result. The same goes for reordering or deleting pages in Organize PDF, trimming margins in Crop PDF, and rotating pages: do all of that first. A number is drawn onto the page as fixed text, so a page moved after numbering keeps its old number, and a crop applied afterward can hide the number if the trim is deeper than the margin.

The one thing that goes after numbering is Protect PDF. The tool cannot open a password-protected file. As soon as you select one, a message tells you to remove the password with Unlock PDF first, and the Add page numbers button stays disabled.

Cover pages, front matter and a custom start

Under Number these pages, choose All pages or Chosen pages. Chosen pages takes the usual syntax, with commas and ranges such as 1-3, 5, 8-10, and last stands for the final page. To leave a cover unnumbered, enter 2-last. Pages are numbered in document order whatever order you type them in.

Start numbering at sets the value printed on the first page you selected. This is where the two common cover-page conventions differ. If the cover should not count, number 2-last and leave the start at 1. If the cover should count but stay blank, number 2-last and set the start to 2, so the second page shows 2 and the last page shows the real page count.

{total} is not the number of pages in the file. It is the last number the tool prints: the count of pages you selected, plus the start value, minus one. With 2-last and a start of 2 on a ten-page file, {total} is 10. With 2-last and a start of 1, it is 9. A start of 0 is treated as 1; the field cannot put a zero on the first page.

For a second volume that continues from an earlier one, set the start to the next number in the sequence and use a format without {total}, or accept that {total} counts only what is in this file.

When the merged files already have numbers

The tool adds text; it never removes anything. If the merged files already had numbers in their footers, those stay, and your new numbers are drawn on top of the existing content. Pick a spot the old numbers do not use, such as Top center when the old footer sits at the bottom, so the two sets do not overlap.

Cropping the old footer away first looks like the fix, but it is not. Crop PDF sets a crop box, which hides the strip rather than deleting it, and Page numbers measures Margin (pt) from the original page edge, not the cropped one. Trim 40 points off the bottom, then place a number at the default margin of 28 points, and the number lands inside the hidden strip. If you do crop, put the new number on a side you did not trim, or set the margin larger than the strip you removed. For scale, 72 points is one inch and 28 points is just under a centimeter. A margin of 0 is treated as the default 28.

Checking the result and what one pass cannot do

There is no preview. Run the tool, open the download, and check the first page, the last page and any landscape page. The result is a new file with -numbered added to the name, and the original is untouched. Click Start over to return to the settings: the file is cleared, but your format, position, font, size, color, margin and start value are kept, so select the PDF again, change one thing and run again.

One run has one format, and {n} always prints ordinary digits, so roman numerals for a preface are not available in any pass. What you can do is run the tool twice with different wording: number 1-4 with Preface {n}, save, then open the saved file and number 5-last with Page {n} and a start of 1. {total} in each pass counts only that pass.

Step by step

1Open the Page numbers tool and click Select file, or drop one PDF onto the page. If the document is still several files, merge them first.
2Click a Format preset such as Page {n} of {total}, or type your own text around {n}.
3Click a cell in the Position grid, then set Font, Size (pt), Color and Margin (pt).
4Set Start numbering at if the first numbered page should not show 1.
5Under Number these pages, keep All pages or choose Chosen pages and enter a range such as 2-last.
6Click Add page numbers and download the file, which is saved with -numbered added to its name.

Questions

Can I number several PDFs in one go?: No. The tool works on one file at a time. Combine the files with Merge PDF first, then number the merged document so the sequence runs across all of them.
Why does {total} not match my page count?: {total} is the last number printed, which is the number of pages you selected plus the start value minus one. Number every page from 1 and it equals the page count. Skip the cover and keep the start at 1, and it is one less.
How do I skip the cover page?: Choose Chosen pages under Number these pages and enter 2-last. Leave Start numbering at 1 if the cover should not count, or set it to 2 if the cover should count but stay blank.
Can it replace the numbers that are already in the file?: No. It draws new text and leaves the existing content in place. Put the new numbers in a corner the old ones do not use. Cropping the old footer with Crop PDF only hides it, and because the margin is measured from the original page edge, a number placed on the cropped side can end up hidden too.
Can I use roman numerals for the front matter?: No. The format must contain {n}, and {n} always prints ordinary digits, so roman numerals cannot be produced in any pass. You can number the front matter and the body as two separate runs with different wording and start values, but both will use digits.