Adding Page Numbers to a PDF Document

Page numbers help organize and reference multi-page documents. This guide shows how to add page numbers using various tools and techniques.

Our Add Page Numbers tool lets you customize the position (top/bottom, left/center/right), font size, and starting number. Simply upload the PDF, configure the settings, and download the updated file. In Adobe Acrobat Pro, use the “Header & Footer” tool to add page numbers dynamically. Free alternatives like PDF-XChange Editor offer similar features. For command-line users, Ghostscript can add page numbers via scripts. When adding numbers, ensure they don’t overlap existing content. You can use Roman numerals for front matter and Arabic numbers for the main body. If the PDF has different sections, consider using section-based numbering. Always test a few pages before applying to the entire document. For legal or official documents, follow specific formatting guidelines. Adding page numbers is especially useful for printed reports, manuals, and submissions where page references are required.