How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (Skip the Cover)
Number the pages of a PDF as 1, Page 1 or Page 1 of 12 — top or bottom, any first number, with the cover page left blank. Free, in your browser.
3 min read ·
To number the pages of a PDF, open Add Page Numbers to PDF, add the file, choose a style such as Page 3 of 12, pick the position, and click Add page numbers. You can start from any number and leave the cover page unnumbered — the two things that word processors make easy and most PDF tools forget.
How to number PDF pages
- Open Add Page Numbers to PDF and add your PDF.
- Choose the Style: 3, Page 3, 3 / 12 or Page 3 of 12.
- Choose the Position: top or bottom, and left, centre or right.
- Choose the Size: Small, Normal or Large.
- Set the First number, and tick Don't number the first page (cover) if the document has a title page.
- Click Add page numbers, then Download numbered PDF.
Leaving the cover page blank
Reports, theses and proposals usually start with a title page that has no number. Tick Don't number the first page, and the numbering begins on page 2. The first number you set goes on that page, so:
- First number 1 with the cover skipped → the cover is blank, page 2 shows "1", page 3 shows "2".
- First number 2 with the cover skipped → the cover counts as 1 but isn't labelled, and page 2 shows "2".
Pick whichever your school, client or publisher expects. In "Page 3 of 12" style, the total is the last page number shown, so it stays consistent.
Starting from another number
Set First number when the PDF continues another document: chapter two of a thesis that starts at page 41, an appendix that follows a 20-page report, or the second volume of a manual. The numbering runs on from there.
Which style and position?
| Document | Common choice |
|---|---|
| Reports, essays, theses | Bottom centre, "3" or "Page 3" |
| Contracts and legal papers | Bottom centre or bottom right, "Page 3 of 12" |
| Meeting packs and handouts | Bottom right, "3 / 12" |
| Notes and drafts | Top right, "3" |
"Page 3 of 12" is the safest choice for anything that will be printed and read on paper: if a page goes missing, the reader notices.
Number the final version
Page numbers are stamped onto the pages, so do them last:
- Combine all the parts with the PDF Merger so the numbers run through the whole document.
- Put pages in the right order with Rearrange PDF Pages.
- Remove blank or unwanted pages with Remove PDF Pages.
- Then add the page numbers.
If you renumber a document that already has numbers, the old ones stay — start again from the un-numbered original.
Landscape and rotated pages
Documents often mix portrait pages with landscape tables. The numbers are placed the right way up and in the chosen corner of each page as you see it, so a landscape page gets its number along its own bottom edge.
Frequently asked questions
Will the numbers cover my text?
They're placed in the margin, close to the edge. If your document has text right at the edge — a footer, for example — choose the top position or a different corner.
Can I use Roman numerals for the front matter?
Not in this tool. A common workaround: split the front matter off with Split PDF, number the main part separately, and merge them back together.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The numbers are added in your browser, so the document stays on your device.