Add page numbers to a PDF

Yes, there’s an easy way to number your PDF pages. You can do it using Adobe’s free online PDF editor tools. Simply find your PDF using the Select a file button above – or drag and drop the file into the box with the dotted line. Log-in to your free Adobe account and from there, you can select the pages you want to number in your PDF. You can also number your PDF pages directly in Acrobat Pro (if you have a subscription).

Our free Adobe Acrobat tool allows you to add page numbers to headers and footers in PDFs. It also allows you to:

• Add numbers at the top and bottom of pages.
• Add numbers to the left, right or centre of a page footer.
• Change page number fonts and font sizes.
• Choose from a range of page number formats. For example: a single number, 1 of n, 1/n, Page 1 or Page 1 of n for the header or footer text.
• Specify where you want your page numbers to start – e.g. if you don't want to number the first page.

If you're looking to edit your PDFs further, you can sign up to a 7-day free trial of Acrobat Pro to access the advanced toolbar.

Adding page numbers to a PDF is easy in Adobe Acrobat Pro. First, open your chosen PDF in Acrobat Pro. Then, go to Tools > Edit PDF > Add Header + Footer > Add. From here, you can choose whether you want to add pagination to the top or bottom of the page with header or footer options. You can also choose which font and font size you want your page numbers to appear.

Yes, you can choose which pages to number in a PDF file using our free online tool. Number all the pages in your document or choose a specific page range. Just pick where you want your page numbers to start.

No, you'll need to re-number the pages in your document if you reorder, add, or delete pages.

If you have a PDF with existing page numbers in it and need to amend or fix those, you can do so for free here. After uploading your PDF file above, go to Number Pages and you’ll get two options: 1) Replace existing numbers, 2) Remove all page numbers. Option 1 will allow you to amend and update the pagination on the PDF.

If you’re working in Acrobat Pro and you need to amend page numbers, you can do this by navigating to Organise pages and Page labels where you can specify your desired page range. Learn how to renumber pages in a PDF here.

Page numbers on PDFs can appear different when you look at the page thumbnail against the actual document. That’s because the thumbnail adds a number to every page in the document from the first one, regardless of whether it has any content on it. That means front matter – such as the title page, contents page, and foreword or preface – will all be given page numbers.

If you want the page numbering to begin on the actual contents of the PDF rather than the first page of the document, you can create a new numbering sequence.