How to use Add PDF Page Numbers
- Choose one PDF. The last-page box fills in with its page count.
- Set the label format, position, first and last PDF page, starting number and font size.
- Select Add page numbers, then open the numbered copy and check the first and last labelled pages.
What this tool changes
A small page number is drawn onto every page using a standard embedded font. Existing page content remains underneath and the original file stays untouched.
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Page numbers become visible text in the saved copy. They are drawn in one fixed, near-black ink with no white patch behind them, so they sit on top of any footer already printed in the same spot. The preview shows page 1 of the source before numbering, not the result. There are no Roman numerals, Bates-style prefixes or custom words beyond Page and of. Keep the original until you have checked the result.
Worked example: a report with a cover and a contents page
A 24-page report has its cover on PDF page 1 and its contents on page 2. Set First PDF page to number to 3, leave Last PDF page to number at 24, keep Starting number at 1 and choose the Page 1 of 12 format. The cover and contents stay clean, PDF page 3 shows Page 1 of 22 and PDF page 24 shows Page 22 of 22. The total counts only the labelled pages, so it matches the footers a reader actually sees.
Printing double-sided and binding
Every labelled page uses the same position. There is no setting that alternates left and right corners for facing pages, so in a bound, double-sided print a bottom-right number sits beside the spine on every second sheet. Choose Bottom centre or Top centre for anything that will be printed on both sides and bound.
Dark footers and trimmed edges
The label colour is a fixed dark slate. It reads well on white paper but can vanish on a dark photo, a coloured footer band or a slide with a black background, so move it to an edge that stays light. Labels are measured from the edges of the full stored page; a scan or export that a viewer displays cropped can hide a label in the trimmed margin. If a number is missing in the download, try the top edge or another corner.
Forms, links and signed files
This tool writes onto the existing document rather than copying pages into a new one, so fillable fields, links and bookmarks remain in the numbered copy. Saving the change still produces new bytes, and a certificate-based digital signature on the source will not validate in the download. Number a document before it is signed, and keep the signed original alongside the numbered copy.
Add page numbers to a PDF without uploading it
Select one PDF and choose how each label should appear: a plain number, “Page 1”, “1 of 12” or “Page 1 of 12”. Choose one of six top or bottom positions, set the font size, and download a numbered copy. Processing happens in this browser tab, so the selected document is not sent to a PDF North server.
Leave a cover page unnumbered
Use First PDF page to number when the document begins with a cover, title page or contents page. For example, choose page 2 to leave the cover untouched and start the visible numbering on the second PDF page. Set the starting number to 1 when that second PDF page should display “1”. The original file remains unchanged.
Number only part of a PDF
Set both the first and last PDF pages when only a section needs labels. This is useful for an appendix, a chapter extracted from a longer report, or a document that already has numbers on some pages. PDF North validates the range against the selected document and does not draw labels outside it.
Choose a page-number format and position
A plain number is compact. “Page 1” is clearer when the footer contains other figures. Count formats such as “1 of 12” show the final number in the selected numbering sequence, which helps readers notice a missing page. Bottom centre suits many reports and handouts; a left or right corner can avoid existing footer content. Review the first-page preview and open the finished PDF before replacing an original.
Add numbers after merging or rearranging pages
Page numbers should normally be the final organisation step. Use Merge PDF first when several files must become one document, or Reorder PDF Pages when the page sequence is wrong. Then add numbers to the finished order. If blank or duplicate pages remain, remove them first with Delete PDF Pages.
What PDF page numbering changes
The tool adds visible text to the selected pages using a standard embedded font. Existing page content stays underneath and the source PDF is not overwritten. Interactive document features can behave differently after any PDF edit, so keep the original and check the downloaded copy before sharing, printing or filing it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I leave a cover page unnumbered?
Set First PDF page to number to 2. The cover gets no label and the sequence begins on the second PDF page. Leave Starting number at 1 if that page should show 1, or set it to 2 if the printed number should match the page index a PDF viewer shows. A cover followed by a contents page works the same way: start on PDF page 3.
Which page-number formats can I choose?
Four: a plain number, Page 1, 1 of 12 and Page 1 of 12. In the two count formats the total is the last number in your sequence, which is the starting number plus the number of labelled pages, minus one. Number PDF pages 2 to 12 from 1 and the labels run from 1 of 11 to 11 of 11. Positions are left, centre or right along either the top or the bottom edge.
Can I number an appendix separately or restart the count?
Yes, by running the tool twice. Number the main body first, for example PDF pages 1 to 30. Then choose that download, set the range to the appendix pages, 31 to 40, and set Starting number to 1 so the appendix restarts. The second run saves a name ending in -numbered-numbered.pdf, which you can rename. A range the document does not contain is rejected before a file is created.
Do the new numbers replace text already on the page?
No. Each label is drawn on top of the page in a small sans-serif font, with nothing painted underneath. If the source already has a footer or old page numbers in that spot, both stay visible and can overlap. Pick another corner or the top edge, or lower the font size, which runs from 8 to 32 points. Bottom labels sit about 8.5 mm above the lower edge, and corner labels about 10 mm in from the side. The original file is not overwritten.
Why do the numbers appear along the side of some pages?
Some pages are stored upright with a rotation setting that viewers apply when they display them, which is also how Rotate PDF turns pages. Numbers are placed against the stored edges, so on a page turned by 90 degrees they land along a side and run sideways. Open the file in Resize PDF Pages first: it redraws each page upright on a new sheet with no rotation setting, and numbers added to that copy sit where you expect. Resize also sets the sheet size, so pick the size the pages already have.
What happens if I clear the Starting number box?
The count starts at 0, because an empty box is read as zero. Type the number the first labelled page should show. The box takes whole numbers from 0 upward, which helps when this PDF continues another one: if part one ended on page 48, enter 49. The form refuses decimals and negative numbers before anything is processed, and the download is named after the source with -numbered added, such as report-numbered.pdf.
Can I add page numbers to a scanned PDF?
Yes. A scanned page is a picture inside the PDF, and the label is drawn on top of it like on any other page. The number is real text in the saved file, so it can be selected and searched even though the scanned words around it cannot. If the scanner left a dark border along an edge, choose a position that lands on paper rather than on the border.
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