Add page numbers to a PDF online, for free

Add page numbers to a PDF online, step by step

Numbering the pages of a PDF makes a long document easy to cite, proofread and file: you refer to “page 14” of a thesis, check that no document is missing from a file, find an appendix over the phone. Certyneo Reader's “Number pages” tool adds these numbers in your browser, on a computer, tablet or phone, with no account and without sending the file. Here is the complete method.

1. Open your document in the reader at the top of this page, by drag and drop or from your files. If it is password-protected, enter the password: it is checked on your device.
2. Choose the number format from the five on offer, then the placement: at the bottom or top, centered, left or right.
3. Set the starting number and the text size, between 8 and 14 points; 10 points suits most documents.
4. Decide whether the first page, often a cover, should stay unnumbered, and whether numbering covers the whole document or only some pages.
5. Read the preview, which tells you how many pages will be numbered and what number the last one will carry. Apply, scroll through the document, then save the numbered PDF.

As long as you have not saved, the Undo button removes the numbers you added: you can safely try another format or placement. The tool is free, with no added watermark and no limit on the number of uses, for files up to 150 MB. It is part of the free online PDF reader, which brings all the tools together on the same document.

Which page number format should you choose for a PDF?

The five available formats are not equally suited to every use. The plainest one is enough for a short document; the formats with a total help readers know where they are and check that they have all the pages.

The “Page 3” and “Page 3 of 12” formats are written in the language of the reader's interface. For a contract or any document where every page counts, the formats with a total have a practical benefit: a recipient immediately sees whether a page is missing or has been added.

Where should you place page numbers on a PDF?

Six placements are offered: bottom center, bottom right, bottom left, top center, top right and top left. The number is placed about one centimeter from the edge of the page, which keeps it legible without pressing it against the edge of the paper.

• Bottom center: the most common placement, neutral, suitable for almost every document.
• Bottom right: handy for flipping through a document printed single-sided, since the number shows in the corner of the page.
• Top right: useful when the bottom of the page is already taken by a legal notice, a signature or a footer.
• Top or bottom left: best kept for documents whose other side is busy, for example with a logo.

What if the number overlaps text?

If the document already has a busy footer, choose a placement at the top, or a less crowded corner. You can also reduce the text size to 8 or 9 points. If the content runs all the way to the edge, another solution is to adjust the margins or switch the PDF to A4 before numbering.

What about a rotated scan or a cropped page?

The number is placed on the page as it is displayed. A page scanned crooked and straightened with the “Rotate pages” tool gets its number at the bottom of the page you see, not on the side. The same goes for a cropped page: the number fits the new frame.

Number a PDF's pages without numbering the cover

The title page of a report, a thesis or a sales proposal usually carries no number. Tick “Do not number the first page (cover)”: numbering starts on the second page, with the starting number you chose.

How is the total calculated?

The total shown in “3 / 12” or “Page 3 of 12” is the last number added, not the number of pages in the file. Take a 12-page document whose cover stays unnumbered: the eleven following pages carry “Page 1 of 11” to “Page 11 of 11”. Readers thus see consistent numbering that does not count a page they do not see numbered.

Start numbering at another number

The starting number can range from 0 to 999,999. It is used to continue existing numbering, for example for a second volume or an appendix sent separately. With the cover skipped, choosing 2 as the starting number puts number 2 on the second page of the file, as if the cover were page 1 without showing it.

Number only some pages

To exclude a table of contents, appendices or divider pages, choose to number only some pages and type their numbers: “5” for one page, “1-3” for a range, “8-” to the end, “-3” from the start, with commas or semicolons between items. The preview then confirms the number of numbered pages and the number of the last one.

In what order to assemble and then number a PDF

The rule is simple: number last. A number placed on a page is written into the document; if you add, remove or move pages afterwards, the numbering becomes wrong and you have to start again from an unnumbered version. Here is the order that avoids this trap for a file made up of several documents.

1. Gather the documents: merge several PDFs into a single document, converting your Word, Excel or PowerPoint files to PDF beforehand if needed.
2. Complete the file: insert a blank page or an appendix into the PDF at the right place.
3. Remove what is not needed, for example with the tool to delete a blank page from a PDF.
4. Put the pages back in order using page rearrangement by drag and drop, and straighten the crooked ones.
5. Number the pages, then check the preview and the complete document.
6. Finish with what locks the document: protect the PDF with a password, or have the PDF signed electronically.

All these tools are chained on the same document open in the reader, without downloading any intermediate file. If you got the order wrong, the Undo button lets you go back as long as nothing has been saved.

Page numbering or Bates numbering: what is the difference?

Both add a number to every page, but they do not meet the same need. Standard page numbering shows where a page sits within a document. Bates numbering, used in legal proceedings, gives each page a unique identifier so it can be cited unambiguously, even when several documents are combined.

If you are preparing exhibits for a lawyer or a court, use the dedicated tool for Bates numbering a PDF. For any other document, the standard numbering described in this guide is the right one.

PDF page numbering without uploading the file

Many online services add page numbers by sending the document to their servers. For a contract, a job application, an accounting record or a medical report, handing the file to a third party is no small matter.

With Certyneo Reader, the numbers are written by your browser: the PDF is read, modified and saved on your device, and Certyneo neither receives nor stores it. For languages that go beyond the basic Latin alphabet, the number text uses a font embedded in the PDF, Liberation Sans: the translated labels for “Page” and “of” display without depending on the fonts installed on the recipient's device.

The same numbering is available in the free desktop app for Windows and Linux, which offers the same tools offline; the page about the free PDF reader for Windows 11 explains how to install it.

More questions about numbering a PDF's pages

Can page numbers that have already been saved be removed?

Before saving, the Undo button removes them. Once the PDF is saved, the numbers are part of the pages. So keep an unnumbered copy of your document until the file is final.

What happens if the PDF already has numbers?

The tool does not remove existing numbers: it adds its own. Choose a free placement to avoid overlap, or number only the pages that have none, with a starting number that continues the sequence.

Can I number a PDF's pages on an iPhone or Android?

Yes. The tool works in recent phone and tablet browsers, including Android, iPhone and iPad. The settings are the same as on a computer, and the numbered PDF is saved on the device.

Is there a limit to the number of pages that can be numbered?

The only limit is the file size, 150 MB at most. The starting number can go up to 999,999, and the tool can be used as many times as needed, with no account and no watermark.