How to add page numbers to a PDF

The honest version: this is manual, not automatic

There's no auto-pagination button here. The editor doesn't scan your document and stamp 1, 2, 3 across every page for you. What it does have is an add-text tool, and a page number is just a small piece of text sitting in the footer.

So the real method is simple: go to each page, click in the bottom margin, and type the number. For a 4-page contract or a 6-page report, that takes under a minute. For a 200-page manual, it's tedious — and we'd rather tell you that up front than pretend a feature exists.

Add a page number in the footer, step by step

• Open your PDF in the editor by dragging it in or picking the file. It loads locally in your browser.
• Select the add-text tool, then click near the bottom of the first page where you want the number to sit.
• Type the number — just "1", or a fuller label like "Page 1" or "1 of 6" if you prefer.
• Position it in the footer. Centered or bottom-right are the usual choices; pick one and keep it consistent across pages.
• Move to page 2 and repeat: click the same footer spot, type "2", and so on through the document.
• When every page is numbered, click Download to save the numbered PDF straight to your device.

Make the numbers look consistent

The add-text tool matches the font, size, and color of nearby text automatically, which helps the numbers blend in instead of looking pasted on. Still, a few habits keep things tidy across pages.

Put each number in the same horizontal spot every time so they don't drift left and right as you flip through. Keep the font size small and modest — page numbers are meant to be quiet. And decide on one format before you start (bare digits versus "Page X of Y") so the whole document reads the same way.

When the manual method is the right call

If you're working with a very long PDF and need automatic numbering across hundreds of pages, a dedicated batch-pagination tool will serve you better. This editor is built for in-place, page-by-page work that stays private, not bulk automation.

• Short documents: invoices, letters, contracts, school papers, and reports of roughly a dozen pages or fewer go quickly.
• Privacy-sensitive files: because the PDF never leaves your computer, you can number a lease, a medical form, or a tax document without uploading it anywhere.
• One-off jobs: when you just need a clean numbered copy once, manual placement beats setting up specialized software.
• Partial numbering: if you only want numbers on certain pages — skipping a cover sheet, say — manual placement gives you exact control.