PDF Page Numbers

What the PDF Page Numbers Does

This tool adds page numbers to a PDF that does not have them. It writes a number at the foot of each page, in the form current of total, so a reader can see both where they are and how long the document is.

It is the quick way to number a PDF before printing or sharing — a contract, a report, a handout — so pages can be referred to and kept in order.

How It Works

The tool opens the PDF, counts the pages, and embeds a standard font. For each page it draws a small line of text near the bottom centre showing that page's number and the total — page one shows 1 of the total, page two shows 2, and so on.

The text is drawn directly onto the page in grey at a fixed position, so it becomes part of the page content. It is added to every page, in one pass, and the numbered file is saved for download.

Processing pipeline

1. Open and count. Load the PDF and count its pages.
2. Embed the font. Embed a standard font for the numbers.
3. Stamp each page. Draw the current-of-total number near the bottom centre of every page.
4. Save the file. Save and download the numbered PDF.

What it stamps

The numbers are drawn onto the page at a fixed bottom-centre position. They are not linked to any existing footer, so on a page that already has content there, they may overlap.

Privacy

The PDF stays on your device. It is read, the numbers are drawn, and the new file is generated locally — no upload, and no copy kept anywhere.

Nothing is stored and there is no account. Refresh or close the tab and both the original and the numbered file are cleared from memory — fine for private documents.

Standards & references

• Current-of-total format — Each page shows its own number and the document total, such as 3 / 12, so a reader sees both the position and the length. The total is the page count read from the document.
• Drawn onto the page — The number is drawn as text onto the page content in a standard font, so it becomes part of the page. It is selectable text, not an image, and prints with the page.
• Fixed position — Numbers are placed near the bottom centre at a fixed spot. They are not aware of existing footers or margins, so on a page that already has content there, they can overlap it.

Accuracy & Limitations

The numbering is exact and complete: every page is stamped with its correct position and the right total, in order, so the sequence runs cleanly from the first page to the last.

The position is fixed at the bottom centre. On a page that already has a footer or content in that spot, the number can overlap it, since the tool does not detect existing page elements.

It numbers from the first page as page one. If your document has front matter — a cover or contents — that you would not normally number, the tool still numbers it, so you may want to remove those pages first or accept that they are counted.

The number is drawn onto the page and cannot be toggled off afterward. To change or remove it, you would re-process the original, so keep an unnumbered copy if you might need one.

Real-World Use Cases

When to use it — and when not to

For control over position, style, or starting page — or to skip a cover — a full PDF editor offers more. This tool stamps a simple current-of-total number at the bottom centre of every page.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

• pdf-lib — PDF library
• Page numbering (Wikipedia)
• Portable Document Format (Wikipedia)

Related Tools