Add page numbers to a PDF
An unnumbered 40-page scan cannot be referenced in a meeting. Numbering takes a minute and makes the document citable for the rest of its life.
Page Numbers — free and local
Adds page numbers in any position and format, with a custom start and skipped pages.
The two settings people get wrong
Start number vs. first numbered page. If the cover should not carry a number but the next page should read “1”, you need to skip one page and start the counter at 1 — not start at 2. This tool separates those two values.
Position and margin. Bottom-centre at 28 pt from the edge is the conventional placement and stays clear of most footers. For documents that already have a footer, top-right is the safer choice.
Format is free text
Two placeholders are available: {n} for the current number and {total} for the page count. “- 3 -”, “Page 3 of 40”, “3/40”, “第 3 页 / 共 40 页” are all valid formats, because the label is rendered with your system fonts rather than a Latin-only PDF font.
The total is the document length, so numbered pages and skipped pages are both counted — which is what a reader expects when they check “page 3 of 40”.
Questions
Can I number only some pages?
Yes, enter a range like 4-20. Pages outside it are left alone and do not consume a number.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Yes — numbers are drawn on top of the page image, so it does not matter whether there is a text layer.
Can I remove numbers I already added?
Only by starting from the original file. Keep the source before you number it.
Related
SlimPDF runs every tool in your browser. No file is ever uploaded, stored or shared.