What adding page numbers to a PDF means
Page numbers are tiny labels printed at the top or bottom of every page so a reader can find their place. Word and Google Docs add them for you. A PDF, once exported, has none of that helper logic. If your printer-ready file came back without numbers, or you stitched two PDFs together and the original numbering broke, you need to stamp fresh numbers on top.
This tool drops a PDF in, lets you pick where (six corner positions), how it looks (font, size, color, margin), and what it says (`1`, `1/N`, `Page 1`, `Page 1 of N`, or the Polish `Strona 1 z N`). You also choose where to start counting and whether to skip the first page (cover, title sheet). Everything runs in your browser with pdf-lib - your file never leaves your device.
How to use it
- Drop a PDF onto the upload area or click to pick one from your disk. The file stays in your browser.
- Pick a position: top-left, top-center, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right. Bottom-center is the print-shop default.
- Choose a format: just the number (`1`), short fraction (`1/N`), labeled (`Page 1`), labeled fraction (`Page 1 of N`), or Polish (`Strona 1 z N`).
- Pick a font (Helvetica, Times, Courier), a size in points, and a color - black or a soft gray for an unobtrusive look.
- Set the start-from number if your document continues an existing series, and toggle skip first page when page 1 is a cover.
- Tweak the margin so the number sits where you expect - closer to the edge for print, farther in for slide decks.
- Press Apply and then Download the new PDF. The original PDF is never changed; you get a fresh file.
When this is useful
Six everyday reasons to stamp numbers on a PDF:
- Court bundles and legal exhibits: judges and clerks reference documents by page number. A bundle without numbering is unusable in proceedings.
- Thesis and dissertation print: your university print shop requires continuous numbering across all chapters. This is the fastest way to add it after merging chapters.
- Tender packages and RFP responses: procurement teams quote page numbers when asking questions. Numbered packages move faster through review.
- Print-on-demand books: KDP, Lulu and IngramSpark accept a single PDF and expect numbered pages on the interior block.
- Meeting handouts: numbered slides let people say "go to slide 12" instead of "the green one with the chart".
- Re-numbering after merge: when you join a cover, an intro, and a body, the body's old numbers no longer match. Strip them, then number the whole file.
Companion tools: PDF and image converter, PDF text extractor.