Add Page Numbers to PDF Online

Insert page numbers into any PDF. Choose position, format, and starting number. Free, fast, and 100% in your browser — no uploads required.

Drag and drop your files here

or Browse Files

Maximum file size: 10MB

Page numbers are one of those professional touches that turn a draft PDF into a finished document. Reports, theses, contracts, manuals, and books all benefit from numbered pages — they help readers navigate, make discussions easier ("see page 47"), enable proper citation, and look more polished overall. Most PDFs exported from Word or Google Docs already have page numbers, but plenty don't: scanned documents, merged PDFs from multiple sources, image-converted PDFs, and exports from older or basic tools. Dokfo's free page-numbering tool adds numbers to any PDF in seconds. Pick the position (top or bottom, aligned left, center, or right), the format (just "1", or "1/10", or "Page 1"), the starting number (useful when your document is part of a larger work), and which pages get numbered. The numbers are baked into the PDF as proper text — selectable, searchable, and rendered identically in every viewer. The tool runs entirely in your browser using pdf-lib. Your document is read locally, numbers are stamped on each page, and the result is saved back to disk — no upload, no server, no cloud.

How to Add Page Numbers — Step by Step

1

Upload your PDF by clicking the upload area or dragging the file. Dokfo loads it locally and prepares for numbering.

2

Choose the position (top/bottom, left/center/right), format ("1", "1/10", "Page 1"), starting number, and font size. Optionally exclude the cover page.

3

Click "Add Numbers". The numbered PDF downloads automatically with page numbers baked in as proper text — searchable and selectable.

Why Add Page Numbers With Dokfo?

Six Position Options

Top or bottom of the page, aligned left, center, or right — six combinations cover every standard layout (academic, legal, business, casual).

Multiple Number Formats

Pick simple "1, 2, 3", fraction "1/10, 2/10", or descriptive "Page 1 of 10". Customize for the convention your audience expects.

Custom Starting Number

Start numbering at any number — useful when your PDF is a chapter of a larger work, or when you want to skip a cover page and start the table of contents at page 1.

Browser-Based Privacy

Numbering happens locally with pdf-lib. Your PDF never leaves your device, which is essential for confidential reports, contracts, and personal documents.

When to Add Page Numbers

Polish scanned documents that came out of the scanner without numbers (reports, manuals, archived correspondence).
Number merged PDFs assembled from multiple sources where the originals had inconsistent numbering.
Add legal-style "Page X of Y" numbering to contracts, court filings, or professional reports.
Re-number a chapter of a larger work to start at the appropriate page (e.g., chapter 3 starts at page 87).
Add numbers to e-books, presentations, or training materials before printing or distributing.

Numbering Stays on Your Device

Dokfo's page-numbering tool runs 100% client-side using pdf-lib. The PDF is read into browser memory, page numbers are added as proper text on each page, and the updated file is saved back to disk — without any server round-trip. This privacy guarantee makes the tool safe for confidential documents. Verify in Developer Tools → Network tab: zero PDF data is transmitted.

Related PDF Tools

Edit PDF Organize PDF Watermark Merge PDF

Frequently Asked Questions About Page Numbers

How do I add page numbers to a PDF?

Upload your PDF, choose the position (top/bottom, left/center/right), format ("1", "1/N", "Page 1"), starting number, and font size. Click apply and the numbered file downloads automatically.

Can I choose where page numbers appear?

Yes. Six position options: top-left, top-center, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right. The standard for most documents is bottom-center or bottom-right.

Can I exclude the cover page or table of contents?

Yes. Set a starting page (e.g., "start numbering at page 3") so the cover and TOC aren't numbered, and the first numbered page is the actual content.

What number formats are available?

Three standard formats: simple ("1, 2, 3"), fraction ("1/10, 2/10"), and descriptive ("Page 1 of 10"). Choose based on document convention — academic and legal often use "Page X of Y", reports often use simple numbers.

Are the numbers selectable text or images?

Selectable text. The numbers are added as proper PDF text objects, so they're searchable, selectable, and accessible to screen readers.

Can I add numbers to specific pages only?

Yes. Configure a starting page so numbers appear only from that page forward. For more granular control (skip individual pages), apply numbering then use the Organize PDF tool to remove unnumbered pages.

Are my files uploaded to your servers?

No. The entire numbering process runs in your browser using pdf-lib. Inspect the Network tab in Developer Tools to verify.

Will the numbered PDF have a watermark?

Never. Dokfo never adds watermarks — only the page numbers you configure.