How Do I Add Page Numbers to a PDF?

How do I add page numbers to a PDF?

Add Page Numbers opens your PDF, lets you pick where the number goes, and stamps it onto every page you choose before you download the result.

• Upload the file to Add Page Numbers.
• Position: choose bottom center, bottom right, bottom left, top center or top right.
• Start number: set what the first numbered page should read, from 1 or any other number.
• Pages: untick any page, like a cover, that shouldn't carry a number.
• Download the finished PDF. The numbers are part of the page, so they print and display the same in any viewer.

How do I start page numbers from a number other than 1?

Set the start number before you stamp the pages. The tool treats the first included page as that number and counts up from there.

• Continuing volumes: a second binder or exhibit set often needs to pick up where the first one left off, for example starting at 201 instead of 1.
• Front matter: many documents number a table of contents in small Roman numerals, then restart at 1 for the body. That takes two separate passes through Add Page Numbers.
• Court rules: the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims requires lowercase Roman numerals for front matter, and Arabic numerals for the pages that count toward the page limit (Rule 32(d)).

How do I skip a cover page when numbering a PDF?

A cover page usually shouldn't show a printed number. Untick it in the page list before you stamp the rest, so the sequence runs cleanly from the next page.

• Add Page Numbers lists every page with its own checkbox, so untick a cover, a blank divider or a title page.
• Set the start number to 1, or whatever the first numbered page should read, once the pages you want left blank are deselected.
• Check the preview before you download. It's quicker to catch a skipped page there than after the file has already gone out.

Can I add page numbers after merging PDFs?

Yes, and it's best to number a PDF after merging it, because the page order and total count can both change once files are combined.

• Merge first: combine the files with Merge PDF and check the page order is right.
• Number second: run Add Page Numbers on the merged file, so every page in the final document gets one consistent, unbroken count.
• Numbering each file before merging usually leaves every original file with its own 1, 2, 3, which then repeats once they're combined.

Do page numbers matter for legal documents and citations?

Yes. Courts and citation styles often need one sequential page number, so a reader or a judge can find the exact page being referred to.

• Legal citations point to a page: when a brief quotes a document, the citation usually names the exact page the quote came from.
• Court rules can set the position: the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, for example, requires its page numbers at the bottom center of the page, under Rule 32(d).
• Some courts check the PDF itself: the Second Circuit's Local Rule 32.1 requires sequential numbering through a brief, and that filers adjust the PDF's own page search field to match it.
• Margins have limits too: under Rule 32 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, a page number may sit in the margin of a brief, but no other text can.
• For a unique, permanent stamp instead of a running count, for example to track evidence pages in a case, use Bates Numbering.

Try the tools

Try it on your own file. The tools are free and you don't need an account.